


Devil's Ideation

by Mythicalturd



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Anxiety, Blood, Death, Depression, F/M, M/M, Multi, Murder, Suicide mention, Therapy, Violence, mental health, psychologist, rhink, therapist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 19:10:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythicalturd/pseuds/Mythicalturd
Summary: Link Neal has to deal with a boring job, a cruel wife, and his mental health has been spiraling downwards for a while. He finally decides to seek help through a psychologist, Rhett McLaughlin. Soon, Link starts to feel worse and that he's losing his mind.





	1. Dr. Rhett McLaughlin

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if there's anything else I should tag. This is my FIRST real fan fiction so please be gentle with criticism, I also appreciate positive feedback and notes. I am a sensitive little biscuit but I would like to improve. Thank You!!!

Link’s knee bounced up and down quickly as he sat and waited to hear his name be called. His eyes wandered around the room and he examined the same three paintings over and over again like he was trapped in some discount Georgia O'Keeffe nightmare. This was his first day meeting with a psychologist and he didn’t know what to expect. He knew he needed help but he was shaking at the thought of telling a complete stranger his innermost thoughts. He had to keep reminding himself that this is their job and they’re just here to help him. Link tilted his head back and tried to stare at the ceiling for a while. He could feel bubbles in his stomach start to form and hoped he wouldn’t be trying to hold his gas in throughout the half hour consultation. The idea of blasting farts in his therapists office made him chuckle out loud. 

“Link Neal?”

Link stood up quickly and instinctively reached his hand out to greet the man in front of him. He looked younger than Link expected and his hair was dirty blonde and parted to the right. He wore glasses bigger than Links too. The therapist shook his hand and introduced himself.

“I’m Rhett McLaughlin, very nice to meet you. This way please.”

Rhett led the way into a small hallway where two small dogs were very excited to see the both of them. He introduced them to his new client.

“The white one is Barbara and that’s Jade. They’re pretty well-behaved but if they bother you, let me know and I’ll put them in the other room”

“Oh, I don’t mind if they stay.”

“Okay, right in here Link.”

Rhett found his office chair and fumbled with some papers for a moment while Link found the closest seat and observed the new room. There was a couch, a small table in the middle of the room, and a shelf with books and board games. There was also one of those old metal roller coaster toys where you drag the beads across from one end to the other, sitting on the floor in the corner. Barbara went to lay on the couch and Jade picked a spot by Link’s feet. He scratched her head and then sat back in the armchair.

“So why are you here today, Link?” Rhett started right into the conversation and caught Link off guard.

“Well uh, hold on. Don’t I need to sign something first? Like an agreement of some sort?”

“We can do that now or later. Whatever you’re comfortable with, Link.”

Hearing Rhett repeatedly say his name made him feel a little awkward, but he was anxious to get started so he figured he would save the paperwork for later.

“Okay well, we can start now if that’s ok...uh, well I guess I’m here because I feel like I need help…”

Rhett grabbed a notepad and a pen and started writing. He pushed his glasses up and looked back at Link.

“Go on.”

Link started to fidget with his ring and took a deep breath.

“I’ve been struggling a lot lately...I’m having a hard time focusing on the good in my life. I was having suicidal thoughts a while ago and I felt like it would be so easy to just end it…”

He paused and thought that maybe he had said too much, but Rhett looked unphased so he continued.

“...I thought that it would be so easy to take myself out of the equation and it would make everyone’s life easier. Once that happened, I knew that I needed to talk to someone. I don’t really want to end my life...I don’t think. I just want to be happy. I want to feel like myself again.” 

Rhett wrote something down and and Link’s eyes darted from the floor to the notepad. His knee started bouncing again and he could feel his face get hot. He felt everything start to come up at once and he bit his lip.

“...I have a good life. I have a wife that loves me...She works a lot but we still manage to spend time together…I think we’re pretty happy. Everyone says we make a great couple.” Link rambled while simultaneously trying to hold himself together.

“...I...I have a good job that pays well enough and I’ve got close friends. I don’t understand why I want to die. I mean...maybe I don’t want to die. I don’t know...I hate this feeling...I…”

It was all too much at once and he couldn’t help but start weeping. He didn’t know he would break down so easily, but he did know everything was a lie. He knew once his words hit the air, and he felt like an exposed nerve now.

“Link you’re in a safe space. I’m glad you decided to come here and get help. You’re very brave for doing so. Therapy can take a lot out of you so it’s ok if you get emotional.”

Link held his composure for a moment to look up and see Rhett looking back at him with soft eyes and pushing a box of tissues towards him. He felt embarrassed but he knew that Rhett was here to help him. All the weirdness and anxiety disappeared and he felt safe. Link calmed down and took some deep breaths. He grabbed a tissue to dry his eyes and cheeks.

“Thank you...sorry for crying. I think I was just so nervous to be here in the first place and then everything...all the emotions and stuff came up at once...I couldn’t help it…”

“It’s alright. Please don’t be sorry, I think we’re off to a great start and I appreciate you opening up and sharing this with me.”

Link was finally calm again and was ready to keep going. Rhett took Link’s silence as a hint to move forward. He asked Link about how he grew up and where he was from. Link talked about his mother who was more fond of going out and being with men rather than spend time with him. He told a story about when his mother took him to a doctor and he was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Adderall, and how she stole his medication while he continued to fail in school. He talked about his religious, judgemental father and how it seemed like he could never do anything to make him happy. Then he talked about his wife again, how they had met in college and got married quickly after he graduated. He talked about how Krista was fine but that he wasn’t truly happy with her, or he thought maybe it was just the depression making him feel that way. He looked up mid-sentence and noticed Rhett was looking at his phone. 

“Um...is everything alright?”

Link was trying not to be offended but he couldn’t help but feel like his safe space was suddenly shaken. 

“Yes, we’ve just uh...run out of time. Your session was supposed to be a half hour consultation and we’ve been running a bit longer. We have your insurance information so I’ll just run your card for the extra half hour.”

“Oh, right...Yeah that’s fine. Sorry about that.”

Link pulled out his wallet and handed the doctor his card. He was so distracted with talking that he completely lost track of time, he felt bad about it, like he had inconvenienced Rhett in some way. It was a little weird that Rhett hadn’t stopped him after the first half hour, but he had to admit he was glad he got to talk a little longer so maybe it was a good thing. Rhett entered the room again and gave the card back.

“I went ahead and made a copy of your card for future sessions if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Good. So I’d like to meet with you every Friday at 11:30. Does that work for you?”

“Uh...yeah that works out great. Thank you Mr. McLaughlin...Dr. McLaughlin?”

“Please, call me Rhett. We don’t have to be so formal.”

Rhett smiled for the first time since Link had met him. It faded quickly.

“Another thing I should tell you is that if I see you in public, I won’t acknowledge you. If you say hi, I’ll politely nod but I won’t introduce you to my family or friends. It’s not personal, it’s strictly doctor and patient confidentiality. Don’t ever talk about our sessions with anyone either...It’s counterproductive to the process to have a bunch of different people telling you different things.” 

“Oh right, of course. That’s fine.”

“Now, do you feel safe? No jumping off of any tall buildings?”

The question caught Link by surprise. He couldn’t tell if Rhett was joking or not.

“What? Oh, yeah I feel alright.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you next week.” 

\-------------------------------------------

“How was your therapy yesterday? Did you get to talk about what was bothering you at your job?”

Krista was standing in the kitchen playing on her phone. As far as she knew, Link was stressed about work and wanted a therapist so he could bitch about his boss. 

“Yeah sort of, we talked about some interesting stuff…”

She was half-heartedly paying attention to what he was saying and he already knew she didn’t care. He could start spouting off about anything and she would just nod her head and act like she was listening. She had only asked as a courtesy.

_She hates me so much._

He watched her from the dining room table, a half-eaten Hot Pocket sitting on the plate in front of him. He stared at his plate and then back at her. 

_Why are we even doing this? I would rather choke on this Hot Pocket than you act like you give a shit about me anymore. Why are we playing this game?_

“Well I’m glad you were able to finally talk to someone. You’ve been such a downer lately.”

“Yeah...sorry. I think things are going to get better now. I’ll be better.”

\----------------------------------

Monday dragged on and all Link could think about was what he was going to say in his next meeting with Rhett. He felt impatient about wanting to get better, like he was finally doing something instead of sitting back and watching himself fall apart. During the week, Link had to be at his mundane office job and wished he could be more productive towards his therapy. He walked back from giving his daily report to accounting and sat at his desk. He clenched his fists over the keyboard. He stared into the Google homepage until his eyes burned. After blinking for a moment he typed into the search bar.

_Rhett McLaughlin Los Angeles_

The website for Rhett’s practice showed up along with a photo that must’ve been taken right out of medical school. It was the same result he found on Psychology Today when he started searching for a therapist almost a month ago. Other results included a rarely updated social media account and an article from the local news about the clinic when it first opened.

_Nothing interesting about this guy. I bet he’s as miserable as me. One miserable jerk giving another miserable jerk advice…_

Despite Rhett’s uninteresting search results, Link still wanted to feel hopeful and to give it his all, even if he didn’t think he could be helped. There was nothing left to do at work for a little while so he wrote down a list of things he could bring up in his next appointment

_lonely (even around Krista)_  
_lazy and unmotivated_  
_I don’t go out anymore_  
_my friends never want to see me_  
_maybe I should get a dog_  
_I think I want kids but I’m not sure_  
_this is stupid_

Link crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the trash can under his desk. It hit the rim and bounced under his chair. He bent down with an exasperated sigh and took the paper ball from the floor and placed it in the trash can. 

_Stupid._

\----------------------------------

**\- THURSDAY 4:50PM ENTER EMPLOYEE ID -**

_4:50...I shouldn’t get in trouble for clocking out early. They’ve already cut my days down. Surely they don’t even care that I’m here in the first place. Fuck it._

The week seemed to go by like molasses. Krista had left Sunday night for a business trip and wouldn’t be back until Friday evening. Link had the whole house to himself and he spent most of it sitting on the couch watching documentaries on Netflix. He barely ate and had no one to talk to. After a while his thoughts started to wander to the pills in the bathroom. 

_Behind the mirror on the middle shelf. Percocets from Krista’s foot surgery. It would be so easy._

He blinked hard and shook away the thought. Link couldn’t help the intrusive thoughts that crept up on him every so often. At this point he knew they weren’t going away but he could usually try and ignore them. Occasionally they would keep him up at night or cause a panic attack at work, but it was a daily battle that was routine for him now. It was no wonder why Link was so tired all the time, fighting his own mind every day was quite the task and it wore him out.

_It would be so easy._

Link filled up a glass with cold tap water and brought it upstairs to his room. The house was always so eerily quiet and the only sounds were from his own thoughts. He set the glass on his nightstand and found a bottle of sleeping pills in his drawer. He shook one into his hand, popped it into his mouth and took a sip of water to get it down. He turned the lamp on his nightstand off and curled up under the blanket. The comforter was warm and the room was just at the right temperature. Link felt lonely, but he was accustomed to it now. Even when Krista was there, the loneliness didn’t go away. He could already feel his eyelids get heavy and now the only sound was his breathing. 

_Things have to get better. I gotta at least try._


	2. Harsh Truths

Link arrived to his appointment the next day and was in the waiting room almost 20 minutes early. He anxiously fidgeted with his phone for a bit but eventually stood up and started pacing around the room. He could hear Rhett in his office shuffling papers around and making a phone call. Link checked the time and it was 11:28. He waited for Rhett to call him in and sat down for a moment to calm himself down. Any moment now, he would hear his name and he could finally vent out his weeks worth of frustrations to someone who genuinely cared about his well-being. 

_11:35_

_11:40_

_Did he forget? I swore I could hear him back there…_

He heard the sound of footsteps and got up to meet them. Link nearly crashed into the giant man upon turning into the hallway.

“Oh Gosh, Link you scared me!” 

“...Sorry about that, it’s just that I’ve been waiting a bit. I mean, not that long but kind of, I-I thought we were meeting at eleven thirty today.”

“You’re early actually. We were supposed to meet at noon.” 

“Uh...I...are you sure? I’m pretty sure you said eleve-”

“Yeah, I’ve got it right here in my notes.”

Rhett pulled out his notepad and sure enough in the top right corner there was a handwritten note.

Link Neal 12:00 PM

“That’s so weird...I coulda swore you said eleven thirty.”

“You probably just forgot. That could be the ADHD.”

Link scrunched up his face and thought hard. He supposed he could’ve just gotten the times confused.

“I read somewhere that depression can make you forgetful too. Is that true?” 

“I suppose it can, these disorders can intermingle together and affect the brain in different ways...let’s go into my office to talk some more.” 

Barbara and Jade met them in the hallway again and followed them into the office, their tails wagging with their little bodies. The two men took their seats and this time Barbara jumped into Link’s lap and started to lick his face.

“Down Barbara! That’s not polite.”

Link didn’t mind but he decided not to say anything. Barbara jumped down and then found her usual spot on the couch. Jade was a little more timid but she wanted attention too. She got on her hind legs and gently set her paws on Link’s leg awaiting his response. He scratched her head and smiled at her. She was satisfied with that and curled up next to his feet. 

“Jade really likes you. She doesn’t really like anyone.”

“Really? She’s pretty cute. I was thinking about getting a dog.”

“Why would you want a dog?” Rhett looked bothered.

“I get pretty lonely. Krista goes on these long business trips and it’s just me at home.”

“Krista is your...girlfriend?”

“My wife…”

Link knew he had mentioned Krista more than once and had even talked about them getting married in the last session. He was starting to wonder if someone had wiped Rhett’s memory of him completely.

“Right, your wife. She’s not home very much so you want to get a dog. Don’t you have any friends?”

Link was taken aback by the harshness of the question. He wondered if this was some sort of trick psychologists used to get information or if he was trying to gauge a response.

“I..uh, I do have friends. They’re usually busy with their own lives or maybe they don’t want to be around me because of how down I’ve been…” Link paused.

_You’ve been such a downer lately._

“...I’m not motivated to reach out first anymore. I stopped caring and so did they.”

“Why don’t you just message them? Don’t you think it would be easier to send a text then to get a dog and have a whole new responsibility? What happens when you lose interest in the dog? It just seems a bit extreme to me.”

“...I-I hadn’t thought about it that way, guess you’re right though. Like I said, I’m just not motivated to reach out first.”

Link looked down at Jade and she had her head resting on top of Link’s shoe. He wondered if Rhett was being too cynical. Rhett wrote something down on his notepad and Link looked up and cleared his throat. Rhett looked up and adjusted his glasses.

“So, tell me about your past relationships.”

“I only dated a few girls before Krista. I don’t think I had a serious relationship until college.” 

“Makes sense, you seem like the shy type.” 

“Well kind of...my mom was always bitching to me about my grades so I just tried to work hard so she wouldn’t be up my ass all the time.” 

“Are you and Krista physical together?” 

“...Not...anymore. We used to be but I don’t think she’s even looked at me romantically for the past year or so. She’s usually too busy or too tired.” 

“Does that bother you?”

“Not really...well, kind of. I wish she didn’t act so repulsed by me. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to be with me like that.”

Link was staring at the carpet. He didn’t really care about being intimate with Krista. He knew they both only did it mostly as a formality in the beginning and only if Krista felt like it. He figured she liked sex, just not with him. He craved affection but he didn’t want it from her. At least not anymore. 

“Sometimes I think she’s having an affair.” 

“Oh? Would that make you upset?”

“Not really. Is that bad?”

“Not necessarily. Why wouldn’t it bother you?”

“I don’t know, I’m not afraid to lose her I guess. She doesn’t seem to care about losing me.”

\---------------------------------------------

Link closed his eyes as he set his head back into the worn down, cushioned booth. The smell of stale beer and cigarettes emanating around him. He eyed his drink and finished what was left in the glass. Bärenjäger was easy to drink and he liked the way it burned his throat as it went down. It had been introduced to him for the first time tonight by his friend Trevor, who was seemingly scanning the room for a potential one night stand. Trevor was someone Link knew from school and they had been fair weather friends for a long time. They weren’t especially close but he always seemed to have a good time when they went out. Link was trying to pinpoint who Trevor was checking out at the bar, but couldn’t remember if he was into men or women. In fact Link couldn’t remember ever seeing him with anyone. Whoever it was, he wouldn’t have a problem finding someone to take home. He looked particularly handsome tonight. Trevor always put some kind of effort into his appearance despite having the same hairstyle since they were teens. Link was a little nervous, having had a small crush on him since high school. He had never acted on his feelings in fear of disappointing his zealot of a father and being kicked out. He kept that side of himself very private for most of his life. After his father passed, Link became much more open about his sexual preferences. No need to worry about being a disappointment to a dead man.

“Someone catch your eye over there?” Link thought maybe he could try and fish out an answer without actually asking.

“Maybe...I don’t really care for some of the people this bar attracts. It’s like everyone here is mentally stuck in high school.” Trevor rolled his eyes with chagrin.

It wasn’t the answer Link was looking for but he shrugged in response. “Yeah, I don’t really go out much so I wouldn’t know. My therapist said I need to reach out to my friends and try to be social…so here I am.”

“Well that’s good I guess. Who do you see? Is he here in town?”

“Yeah, his name is Rhett McLaughlin. He’s nice and professional but...he’s kind of weird.”

“Sounds a little familiar but I don’t think I know him. What do you mean by weird?”

“Like, I swear to GOD he had told me that our meetings were at eleven thirty but when I show up yesterday, he tells me that they’re at noon. Isn’t that weird to you?”

“Eh, kind of but it’s probably not that big of a deal. But wait, are your meetings at eleven thirty or noon?”

“Hell if I know. I feel like if I go in at noon he’s going to say I’m late.”

“Haha maybe he’s just fucking with you.”

“Ha...Hopefully not. He seems like a good guy. A little harsh, but I feel better after talking with him.”

“Sometimes facing the truth is harsh. I learned that quickly with my own therapist. She really got down to the core and fucked me up with some truth. Just hang tight and you’ll get through. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yeah, sure.”

The two men talked and drank for a few hours. They traded stories about therapy, social issues, and even relationships. Link had been dying to know about that part of Trevor for a long time and especially tonight and finally he had an answer. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that Trevor had been openly gay for a while. 

“I’ve never seen you with anyone so I was never really sure.”

“I always find a way to fuck up the relationships that I’m in. I guess I’m too much or not enough...you actually met my ex, Darren though. I remember introducing you two a couple years ago at that Christmas party.”

“Darren?...wait, I thought he was your roommate!”

“Yes, my very gay roommate that I was in a relationship with. We were living together you goon.”

“Goon?! Gosh, I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention. What happened with him?”

“He said I wasn’t committed enough, etcetera etcetera...He was right though, I probably wasn’t.”

“You miss him?”

Trevor looked down at his drink and was quiet for a moment.

“I miss some things about him, he was a really nice guy. I guess it just wasn’t right.”

“Yeah. I feel that way with Krista...we had something for a short time and it burned out fast but now we’re stuck together.”

“You don’t want to get a divorce?”

“What’s the point? She’s probably the only one that’ll put up with me so I’m just gonna let it ride. She’ll bring out the papers eventually. There’s nothin’ there anymore.”

“God, that’s fucking depressing man...You’re not as awful as you think you are, I hope you know that. I think you’re a good guy, a little down on himself but you’re so real. You know what I’m saying? I feel like I haven’t had a genuine conversation with anyone in a long time. It feels good to talk to someone who’s not full of himself or a fucking idiot...it’s too bad you’re straight.”

“Haha what? You think I’m straight?”

Even in the darkened room, he could see Trevor’s face burn a little.

“I uh, just assumed that since you’ve only been with women. I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I’m sorry. Shit, I feel stupid. I didn’t realize you were gay.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it. Really. I don’t really talk much about that side of me. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, although there is more than just gay and straight Trevor...I fall into this weird category where sometimes I like women and sometimes I like men. It’s mostly men these days though. I guess you could say I’m bi but that label doesn’t exactly feel right…”

“I see, well I was just about to accidentally reveal a whole lot of personal feelings. That would’ve been embarrassing wouldn’t it?”

Link laughed and turned a little red himself. He felt a little silly and he wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, Trevor almost admitting his feelings for him, or both. He looked up and they locked eyes for a moment, and at the same time they both burst into laughter, breaking the brief tension. Once they quieted, Link could feel a headache coming on. He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes.

“Gosh, I think I drank a little too much. I should probably go home.”

“Oh? Is Krista waiting up for you?”

Trevor raised an eyebrow and grinned playfully. For a moment he was worried that he might’ve said the wrong thing. Link rolled his eyes and shook his head. He smiled back at Trevor to reassure him it was fine.

“Nah I just got a headache man, I told you I don’t really go out so I don’t normally drink this much.” 

“Gotcha. Well, I can take you home if you want. Your home, not mine. Not like that...I mean, unless you...ah, nevermind. God, I gotta stop before my mouth gets me into trouble. Sorry. Let’s just get out of here.”

“Sounds good to me.” 

They made their way out and called a cab. As soon as it arrived they got in and sat close beside each other. Link had just enough liquid courage in him to pretend to fall asleep and lean his head onto Trevor’s shoulder for the entire ride. He figured if Trevor didn’t want him to he would say something or nudge him off, but it was completely the opposite. Trevor was definitely aching to touch Link, but he was anxious about being too forward. He settled for an accidental graze of hands during the ride. The tension was palpable and it wasn’t until the cab stopped at Link’s house that Trevor finally got up the nerve to say something. By the time they arrived, Link had actually dozed off and Trevor patted his arm to wake him. Link opened his eyes and took in his surroundings for a moment. He sighed, “I guess we’re here.”

“Yeah, how's your headache?”

“Better, thanks for letting me use you as a pillow.”

Trevor smiled, “Anytime.”

Link took a step out to leave and Trevor gently grabbed his arm to stop him. 

“Hey, thanks for messaging me, I had a really nice time. We should hang out again, soon. 

“Yeah that would be...nice...sorry if I embarrassed myself.”

“Not at all, I’m the one that should apologize for making things weird at the bar.”

“It’s fine, I’d actually like to finish that conversation sometime.” 

“Sounds good...listen, I’m sorry that things have been so hard for you lately. I’m glad you’re getting help. You deserve to feel better.”

Link put his hand on Trevor’s leg and gave it a gentle squeeze. They traded intoxicated grins as Link got out of the cab. He waited and watched it leave before going inside.

_I forgot what having a crush felt like. I guess Rhett was right. I don’t need a dog. I just need to put myself out there._

\----------------------------------

When Link got inside, Krista was already asleep. He was feeling good and had some energy left after his engaging evening, so he wanted to test his luck and see if she would want to fool around. He crawled into bed next to her and traced his finger down her silk nightgown while kissing her neck. He nibbled her ear a little and kissed her cheek with enough pressure to wake her. She stirred a bit and opened her eyes just enough to see Link with a playful grin on his face. She glowered and turned her head away as she went to fall back asleep without saying a word. Link was hurt but it’s exactly what he expected. He moved himself to the opposite side as far as the bed would allow so he could touch himself instead. He undid his jeans, tossed them onto the floor, and slipped a hand into his boxer briefs. He closed his eyes and started to stroke himself slowly.

_I knew she wouldn’t want to do anything. Not even a pity-fuck. I’ve earned at least that. I’ve always done it for her. She takes but she doesn't give...she’s so selfish. With everything! I’ve always tried to be so good to her...what happened between us? When did she start to hate me? What did I do? Fuck I’m close...maybe I should think of something not so goddamn depressing._

Trevor came to mind. Link thought about his tall, slim figure leaned against the bar and how his dark brown, shoulder length hair fell around his face. Link imagined going back to Trevor’s place and stripping the clothes off of him and slowly kissing him all over. Burying his nose into Trevor’s neck and breathing him in...holding him close and feeling their skin touch. He fantasized about what Trevor would taste like and how Trevor would feel inside of him. Link desperately wanted to be touched by someone. Anyone...He craved for just an ounce of physical contact. He pined for affection like a lovesick teenager. He could feel the yearning in his chest trying to tear itself out. Link could feel his orgasm building as he arched his back and tried to stifle a moan, a wave of pleasure and emotion hitting him all at once. 

He paused and laid there staring at the ceiling, his eyes welling from the intense climax. He wondered what it was like to be wanted, to have someone crave you so deeply, to be truly loved. He turned his head and looked over at his sleeping wife, her steady breathing and peaceful demeanor created a deep resentment in his gut.

_I hate you for making me feel this way. Why couldn’t you just love me the way I needed to be loved?_

Link still had the come in his palm. Without thinking, he reached over and wiped it on Krista’s pillow, satisfied by his tiny triumph. The thought of her waking up with jizz in her hair made him feel content and calm enough to drift off to sleep.

_Everything’s going to be okay._


	3. Truth Hammer

The following Friday couldn’t come soon enough for Link. He was excited to share about his new romantic feelings and he wanted to thank Rhett for encouraging him to reach out and be social. Link and Trevor texted each other and flirted throughout the week. It made his work days bearable and he was starting to feel good again. Even Krista had noticed a change in his mood while they were getting ready for the day.

“You seem extra peppy this morning, does that mean your therapy is going well?” She was reading an article on her phone and didn’t look up.

“I guess you could say that. The psychologist told me to reach out and be social so I did and I ended up having a really great time.” 

“That’s good. What do you want to do for dinner tonight?”

“Oh, well actually I was thinking about going out again with my friend. Dinner and drinks probably.”

Krista looked up finally and had a somewhat sour look on her face. 

“I see. Do I know this friend?”

“Yeah, it’s Trevor. I think I introduced you to him at a party last year.”

“The gay guy?” 

“Yeah...wait how do you know that?”

“Link, he brought his boyfriend to the party, Jared or something. It was pretty obvious.”

Link laughed at the fact that Krista somehow remembered and he didn’t. “Ah ha, yeah. They broke up I guess. His name was Darren.”

Krista was quiet for a moment. 

“Hm. So is he on the prowl now? Is that why he invited you out?” 

“What? I invited him out...what do you mean?”

“I was just wondering if he’s trying to fuck my husband that’s all.” 

Krista stared icily at Link as she took a sip of her coffee. Link could feel the temperature in his face rise from her brash assumption, and he was trying to keep calm. He knew she didn’t care if he went out or even who he fucked, she was just trying to rile him up. He tried to resist starting an argument.

“I don’t think that’s what’s going on. We’re just going to dinner.”

“Right, like a date.”

_She’s trying to embarrass me. She wants me to feel ashamed for liking him._

Link’s neck got hot and his eyes burned. He wasn’t going to let her take the piss out of this. He had bypassed being annoyed and went straight to being angry. He was cold in his response.

“Look, I know you’re trying to fuck with me but I’m telling you we’re just friends. Just leave it alone Kris.”

She smirked at Link, knowing it would bother him even more.

“Yeah, just friends, until he tries to suck your d-”

“I SAID LEAVE IT ALONE!” 

The room went silent and he glared, as if to dare her to say another word. In all the years they had been together, Link had never yelled at Krista like that before. She had expected him to just take it. Her hands shook as she placed her cup on the counter and hurriedly grabbed her things. She left without a word, slamming the door behind her. 

\----------------------------------

“I screamed in her face, so yeah I suppose I could have handled it better. She was sitting there trying to make fun of me so I reacted. You can’t sit there and poke a bear repeatedly and then be surprised when he roars.”

“That’s true, but you don’t think you may have overreacted?”

“Absolutely not, she deserved a lot more than that.”

“Can you elaborate on that?” 

Link thought he might have said too much and froze momentarily. He wanted to tell Rhett that he had the desire to make Krista hurt as much as she made him hurt. The years of neglect and abuse made him want to strangle the daylights out of her. That kind of talk would probably get him in trouble.

“I just mean I stopped myself from screaming at her even more. She was making fun of me for spending time with another man. She was trying to get me worked up and normally I would just take it. Today I didn’t and GOD FORBID I stand up for myself.”

“I see. So have things always been bad between you two?”

“No...I think in the beginning the love was mutual.”

“You think or you know?”

“...I don’t really know, but there had to be some reason we stayed together. It couldn’t have been all bad…”

“What did you do to drive her away? Have you always chased men behind her back?”

“Are you kidding? I stopped caring because she did! And I’m not chasing anyone! I just went out with a friend, like YOU suggested!”

“I didn’t tell you to go out and flirt with a bunch of men. You’re obviously doing something wrong in this relationship. You can’t just put all the blame on her.”

“What?! A bunch of men? What are you talking about?!...I wasn’t trying to put all the blame on her anyway...I just…”

“Just what? You need to start taking responsibility for your actions, Link. From what I can tell so far, you’ve coasted through life just blaming everyone else for your problems. Your mother didn’t want to be around you because you were an annoying, hyperactive child. Your father was just a God-fearing man trying to support his family and his rules were just “too strict” for you. Now your marriage has fallen apart and it’s Krista’s fault? You are absolutely INSANE if you think that they’re the problem and not you.”

Rhett was staring hard at Link’s face now. Link kept his eyes on the clenched fists in his lap. He could feel his throat close up and his face get hot. He wanted to throw himself in front of a bus. Rhett took a deep breath and grabbed a business card off his desk and handed it to Link. 

“This is the name of a psychiatrist in town. I’m going to refer you for medication.”

Link took the card without making any eye contact. He knew if he looked Rhett in the eye he would lose his composure.

“I’m sorry if this is too much for you to handle right now. This is how therapy works. We have a conversation and I try to help by giving you the tools to fix your life. Sometimes the tool is a truth hammer that knocks you over the head.” 

Rhett laughed at his own joke while he put the notepad onto the desk and folded his arms. He watched Link very carefully and he could see that the man in front of him was hanging on by a thread. Link was trying to steady his breathing while simultaneously trying not to throw up. Jade looked up at him from her usual spot and cocked her head. Link looked down at her and felt a tiny bit of comfort. 

“What are you feeling right now Link?”

After a moment of hesitation, Link took a deep breath and looked up to meet Rhett’s eyes. It was only a second before he had to look away.

“I’m uh, feeling really emotional…and frustrated.”

“Why?”

“Because maybe...maybe…”

“Maybe there are truth to my words?”

“I don’t know...I feel like some of that stuff you said can’t be true. I know that I’m probably responsible for a lot of things but...not everything.”

“Listen, I know some of this stuff is hard to hear. You have to accept the fact that there is something deeply wrong with you. You’re probably one of the most unstable people I’ve ever met and I’m glad you came to me when you did. I’m proud of you for that.”

Link felt sick to his stomach. He stood up too fast and saw black spots as he stumbled towards the hallway in a haze.

“I uh, I’ll be right back…”

He rushed to find the bathroom and Jade got up and followed him. He grasped at the door and slammed it open, found the toilet and threw up. He collapsed onto the floor and sat with his back against the wall. When he turned his head, he saw Jade was licking little bits of vomit on the floor that had missed the toilet. Link grabbed her and held her close to his chest. He rested his cheek on her and stared at the bathroom tile, absorbing the shock of what Rhett had just told him.

_I’m not fucking crazy….I’m not fucking crazy...God...what if he’s right?_

Link got up off the floor, Jade still in hand and trudged back to the office. Rhett had his back turned and was on his computer.

“Are you alright Link? How are you feeling?”

“Not good. I think I ate something that disagreed with my stomach.”

He set Jade down and she made her way onto the couch and laid next to Barbara. 

“That’s unfortunate, we can wrap up our session for today if you’re not feeling well.”

“Uh, yeah that’s fine. I think I’m going to go home and take a nap.”

“Sounds good to me, before you go could I make a copy of your credit card for future use?”

“What? Didn’t you already do that?”

“No I don’t believe so.”

“No...what? Yes you did! It was after the first session! You told me you had made a copy of my card! I know you did!”

“Link, please calm down. I’m only going to use the card to pay for the appointment. That’s it.” 

“Are you kidding me?? I know that! We had this discussion already!”

“If you had given me your card already, why would I be asking you again?”

“I don’t know! You tell me! Maybe you’re the crazy one!”

“Link, do you hear yourself? You’re accusing me of being crazy when all I’m asking for is a method of payment. Can you not afford the session? Is that why you’re being defensive? Look, If that’s the case we can work out a p-”

“Of course I can afford it! That’s not the point!”

“Look, I don’t have to make a copy of it now. We can wait until next time if it would make you feel better.”

“I just don’t understand, I know for a fact that you made a copy already! I’m not losing my mind here…”

“So you know for a fact that I made a copy? Do you have any proof? Just your memories? Memories that most likely have been affected by your mental health? Maybe you’re experiencing deja vu. Do you know what that is?”

“Oh my God...I KNOW what deja vu is! This is NOT that!...”

Link was struggling now. He wondered if he really was losing his mind. Why would Rhett lie to him? A medical professional that took an oath to help him. If Rhett was truly lying, what kind of motive would he have? Link wanted to escape, it felt like the room was closing in on him.

_Why am I even trying to reason with this...clearly I made up some memory of this happening. I must be overreacting. Rhett is so calm...if he was lying wouldn’t he be more defensive?_

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to insult your intelligence Link.” 

“I know...I’m just so confused. I really thought I had already gone through this with you.” 

“It’s fine, sometimes people with depression are forgetful.”

_You probably just forgot. That could be the ADHD...He said that to me...wasn’t I the one who mentioned the depression right after?...Did I imagine that too?_

“I need to get out of here...I feel like I’m going to be sick again. My head is spinning…” Link pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut to try and ground himself.

“Take it easy, Link. Everything’s going to be alright. We’re going to make you better, trust me. I care about you and I want you to be ok.”

“I just want to be better. I’m sorry for getting so angry...I just don’t understand…”

“It’s ok Link, I’m here to help you.”

“I know...thank you for being patient with me. This is proving to be a lot harder than I thought.”

“It’s alright. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.” 

As Link left, he was shaking at the lack of comprehension that he had originally walked into Rhett’s office with. He knew Rhett was wrong, but at the same time, it was possible that he wasn’t...Link couldn’t tell what memories were real and what memories he had unknowingly fabricated now. He thought he knew, but there wasn’t any certainty anymore. Rhett was the only constant, and Link knew Rhett was the only one who truly understood him.


	4. Rhett

The room was dark and the only light to be seen were thin strips shining through the tattered blinds in Rhett’s studio apartment. There was nothing on the walls, no television, and no decor to be found. The only additions seemed to be a microwave on the counter next to the sink, a mini fridge, and smartphone charger next to the bed. Small bits of trash, receipts, and pieces of dog food littered the floor. Barbara and Jade had little beds at the foot of his own and they were still snoring quietly as Rhett sat on the edge of the bed in only his underwear, rotating his head to crack his neck. He checked the calendar on his phone to see what he had scheduled for the day.

**Appointment at 12:00 Link Neal**

_Link Neal. You’re losing your mind, aren’t you? It’s only a matter of time now._

Rhett got dressed, let the dogs out to do their business, loaded them into the car and headed to his office. The drive was short but it gave him enough time to think about the last few meetings with Link and figure out his next move. He had a plan but he needed to make sure that Link didn’t kill himself first. From the looks of it, it seemed like Link could snap at any moment and Rhett needed to make sure he had full control over the situation. He didn’t just want the control, he needed it. He needed Link. Toying with him made Rhett feel powerful and if things didn’t work out like he wanted it to, he could just try on the next person. The only problem was that Link was different from everyone else. He was ostensibly more malleable, and by far more beautiful, nad Rhett wanted to do this right. Link had almost made it too easy from the beginning. He had a shitty marriage, no family life, and fair weather friends. It didn’t matter what happened to this poor idiot, no one would care, which was perfect. Rhett could have Link all to himself if everything went according to plan.

Rhett parked in front of the office building and the pups jumped out and followed closely behind him as he unlocked the main door. He made his way into his office and looked over his notes from Link’s last appointment.

_He’s infatuated with this Trevor person...I don’t want any outsiders fucking this up for me._

Rhett checked the clock on his phone, 11:30. Link showed up around this time just in case but Rhett had been making him wait the extra half hour. It was hilarious for Rhett to watch when Link had tried to argue the correct hour that they were supposed to meet. Really, watching Link struggle with everything had been extremely amusing for him. It was a challenge to keep his composure most of the time, because he loved every minute that Link fell deeper and deeper into madness. It was like a drug except that he could have as much as he wanted and he would never overdose. Not to mention how effortless it was to convince Link that he was going crazy. Eventually, Rhett would be able to persuade Link to do anything he wanted. Trevor could be an issue though, he didn’t want anyone trying to tell Link opposite of what Rhett was telling him. If Trevor made Link happy, that was a problem. Link needed to be miserable and lonely, sad and destructive. There’s no way somebody that’s happy with themselves would do whatever Rhett asked, so he had to have this sad, pathetic man under his thumb. Until Rhett was done with him. He took pride in how good he was at this, it was like playtime.

It was almost noon, Rhett put on the faux glasses that made him appear more professional and stood up to call Link into his office. He walked into the hallway and his two canine assistants were right on his heels. 

“Good afternoon Link, come on in.” 

\----------------------------------

After the appointment was over and Link had left, Rhett made a phone call.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby, you down for a little rendezvous? I’m feeling pretty tense today and I thought maybe you could help me out.”

“Gimme a few and I can meet you at your office.”

“Sounds good, see you soon.”

Rhett took off his glasses and put them away, he didn’t have any more clients today so the rest of the day was his to do whatever he wanted. He was feeling intensely turned on after his meeting and needed to let off some steam. He took Barbara and Jade and put them in the next office so as not to have any distractions.

Krista showed up within half an hour and let herself into Rhett’s office. Within moments she had stripped down and Rhett was close behind her. There were no words between them, just a carnal attraction. Krista wasted no time leading Rhett to the couch and straddling him. She lowered herself onto Rhett, softly moaning as she rocked back and forth on top of him. He thrusted in sync with her motions and as she got close, she clawed at him, creating red streaks across his chest. He responded to the pain by letting out a growl, grabbing a hold of her hips and thrusting into her with even more vigor. She lasted only a little longer before her thighs shook from the intense climax and she let out a high pitched cry. Rhett wasn’t done yet and continued at the same speed, bouncing her around like a spent rag doll until he could feel his orgasm reach the edge. He held onto her tightly as she squirmed on top of him, euphoric and overwhelmed from the prolonged action. He finally finished with a few final pumps. Krista was flushed and satisfied as she slumped onto Rhett’s chest, kissing his neck and trying to catch her breath. Rhett was breathing heavy too, but he was quick to move Krista aside so he could get up to get dressed. She laid there, feeling the pulsating in her groin and the bruises starting to form on her hips. She was reluctant to get up, but her desire for Rhett made her self-conscious about being too clingy. Slowly, Krista put her clothes back on, hoping to engage the mysterious psychologist into conversation.

“You should take me on a date sometime. I bet we’d get along in other ways too.” 

“Yeah, maybe one day. I’ve just got a bunch of other stuff going on and I’d feel bad not giving you the attention you deserve.” 

It was a blatant lie. He wasn’t ever planning on taking Krista out. It was simply that he wanted her to stay interested enough to keep coming back. Despite the fact that Link and Krista hated each other, Rhett knew that it would be a blow to Link’s self-confidence once he found out. 

“That’s sweet of you...you know how to get a hold of me so just let me know when you’re available.”

She planted a small peck on Rhett’s cheek and left. He ran a hand through his hair and got up to let Barbara and Jade out of the adjacent office. They both sat at his feet and looked up at him, silently begging for attention. He scratched their faces, one after the other and turned to his computer. The two pups found a spot to nap as Rhett did some digging online. He searched for Trevor’s in the local area and after about 10 minutes, he found a match that lived close by. 

_Trevor Moore. You better hope you’re a short-lived crush._

He found a social media account that had a few photos of a man about as tall as himself, with medium length, dark brown hair, and a skinny figure. He learned just by the profile that Trevor recorded and edited stylish wedding videos for a living, but his heart was in avant-garde film making. He had a few friends but appeared to mostly keep to himself. Rhett scrolled through the photos and found a few from what looked like a Christmas party dated a couple years back. He saw a very clearly intoxicated Link and Krista smiling at the camera and they were standing by a man Rhett didn’t recognize, it seemed like Trevor himself had taken the photo since he wasn’t in it. Link was wearing a black Beach Boys shirt with an olive green jacket, but Rhett didn’t need a photo to know what Link was wearing that night. Rhett remembered this particular evening very well, it was the same night he had gotten Krista’s number, and it was the same night he had met Link and decided that he was the one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to put out three more chapters out this coming Wednesday, and then one again the following Saturday and so on in that fashion. I don't think this story is going to go past ten or eleven chapters but we'll see.


	5. Cherry Flavored Prime Times

It had been an emotionally taxing day for Link and he was having second thoughts about going out. Almost as if Trevor could read his mind, Link’s phone pinged.

Trevor: can’t wait to see you later. ;)

The thoughtful message put his mind at ease for a moment and Link replied with a smiley face. He was still anxious about going, but knowing he was going to see Trevor helped make up his mind. Link decided to dress up a little and put on some clean black jeans and an old blue flannel button-up he had stuffed in the back of his closet. Normally, he wore his hair short on the sides and let the top do what it wanted, but tonight he combed it back and even put a tiny bit of hairspray in it. He found his Vetiver cologne in the medicine cabinet and put a little on his neck and wrists, it had been a long time since he put effort into his appearance and he forgot how good it felt to clean up. Despite his emotional day, he could feel new energy flowing through him and he strutted in front of the mirror for a moment. Link brought out his phone to take a selfie, when suddenly Krista walked into the room. It was like a real life record scratch and Link scrambled to put his phone away, immediately embarrassed. 

“Look at you all dressed up for your date. When’s the last time you got dressed up for me?”

“Oh please Kris, I could ask you the same thing. Don’t act like you care.”

“Aw, are you gonna get mad at me again? Should I run and hide?”

She was teasing him again but he wasn’t going to get angry this time. Link had been doing mental gymnastics all day to try and get into a better mood and he wasn’t going to let her bring him down with one catty comment.

“Please leave me alone, I’m not doing this right now.”

“Fine, go and fuck each other for all I care. It’s not like you’re fucking me.”

Even though she had her own sexual adventure earlier in the day, there was still jealousy and anger behind her words. Link could feel his temper growing and he wanted to scream at her again. Instead, he took a breath and tried to be calm.

“I tried to fool around with you the other night and you didn’t even acknowledge me. How do you think that made me feel? You don’t have to put on this jealous wife act, I know you don’t want anything to do with me...Just g-”

Whether it was the cologne, or the desperate need to prove Link wrong, Krista grabbed onto Link and kissed him hard. She tried to mimic the same passion that she had demonstrated earlier with Rhett. Link was caught by surprise, but then kissed her back with the same intensity, and for a moment there was a mutual fire that was reminiscent of when they first met. It didn’t last long, as she pulled away and let her arms drop, burying her head into his chest and quietly sniveling as Link held her.

“Shh, it’s ok. Please don’t cry Kris.”

She said something muffled into Link’s shirt and he gently moved her away from his chest so she could speak clearly. Her makeup was running down her face now and she looked up into Link’s eyes. 

“Link, I’m so sorry…but I-”

“Hey, don’t be sor-”

“No, listen...I can’t stand you.”

“What?”

“...I hate everything about you Link. Your stupid boy band hair, the way you chew, the way you push up your glasses, your stupid graphic t-shirts. I hate the way you mope around and feel sorry for yourself all the time, and I hate the lies.”

“The lies? I’ve never once lied to you!”

“Oh please, I’m not stupid Link, I know you’re a just a little gay boy that was using me as a cover, so that you didn’t disappoint your parents...I kissed you to try and feel something but I just feel disgusted with myself.”

“Are you serious? I loved you Krista, I never used you.”

“I loved you too but I can hardly look at you now...I don’t want to do this anymore Link.”

Every word that came out of Krista’s mouth was like a knife straight to Link’s heart. Of course he knew their feelings for each other faded but did she have to be so goddamn ugly and hurtful about it? Did she have to be so cruel? 

“I’m going to stay with my mother until we can figure out what’s going on. I’m sorry that I waited so long to do this.”

Link didn’t have any words. He was heartbroken and fuming, but he was also relieved to be free of this dreadful person. He grabbed his jacket and headed downstairs to leave.

“Are you seriously still leaving?” she demanded.

“Are you?” Link snapped back.

There was a pause, and without an answer from Krista, Link left and now it was his turn to slam the door.

\----------------------------------

The cab pulled up to an Americana style diner and Trevor was standing outside talking with one of the waiters that happened to be on break. Link paid the driver and hurried out of the car, grateful that Trevor had waited for him. Link’s first instinct was to hug him but he was hesitant.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, I got caught up with some drama at home. Thanks for waiting for me.” 

“It’s fine, I’m glad you made it. I hope everything’s alright.” 

“Well, not really. Let’s get inside and I’ll tell you more about it if you want.”

“Sounds good.”

Trevor took the initiative and put his hand on the small of Link’s back to lead him inside. The small gesture took Link by surprise and he started to feel like he really was on a date. 

They were seated in a booth towards the back, the diner having a much brighter and cleaner atmosphere than the bar they had previously hung out at. Black and white photos of old diners and people from the 1950’s adorned the walls. The restaurant had a forced retro vibe, like someone had watched Pleasantville and based the theme on that alone. Mini jukeboxes decorated each table and had a selection of songs to browse through. Link fiddled with theirs but it turned out they were just for show. He could flip though the music options with shiny plastic buttons but there was no coin slot or option to request a song. Disappointed, Link looked through the menu instead. It was full of classic heart-attack inducing options, like double- stacked cheeseburgers, steak fries and butterfat milkshakes. They ordered their food and Trevor re-initiated the conversation they started outside. Link recapped what had happened, starting from the altercation that happened a week before, to just before Link had left to meet Trevor.

“Did you tell your therapist about what happened before? What did he say?”

“Well...he said it was my fault. That I shouldn’t blame everyone else for my problems.”

“Wait, what? Your fault? How is her being an ass your fault?”

“He said I must’ve done something wrong. That I was chasing other men behind her back…he said I was the most unstable person he’d ever met.”

Repeating Rhett’s words out loud made Link feel uneasy and hurt, his eyes welled a little and he looked down at the table, somewhat ashamed. Trevor couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“Unstable? Are you kidding me? Because you were texting me, suddenly you’re some psycho sex fiend? I don’t understand, did your therapist go to clown school? I am absolutely bewildered right now, so much so that I just had to use the word bewildered.” Trevor paused. “Flummoxed. Dumbfounded…” 

He could tell Link was embarrassed so he made an attempt to lighten the mood. It worked because Link couldn’t help but crack a smile and join in.

“Perplexed? Flabbergasted?”

“Flabbergasted. That’s a good one.”

They both chuckled at the goofiness of the words, and as soon as their laughs trailed off, the waiter arrived with their food. They started on their meals and continued to talk. 

“So what’s flabbergasting to you about it?” 

“Honestly, everything that I’ve heard come out of your mouth in the last ten minutes. Your therapist sounds like a nutjob, and your wife is a straight up jerk. You are NOT crazy Link. You had every right to be stand your ground and you should dump this Rhett McLooneybin guy.” 

“But you said yourself the truth can be harsh.”

“What he’s telling you is not the truth, Link.” 

“How do you know?”

“I just feel like your therapist telling you that everything is your fault and that you’re unstable, is a huge red flag. I could be wrong, but that’s just my opinion. If you really think he’s helping you then you should do what you feel is right.”

“...I mean, let’s say you’re right. Why would he do this?”

“Well, I’ve heard of therapists gaslighting their clients to get more money from them. They keep them crazy so they have a steady flow of money coming in.”

Link‘s face fell in dismay. “Oh my God...Do you think he’s doing that?”

“I don’t know Link, the whole mixing up the meeting time seems weird to me now. Like maybe he did it on purpose to mess with you.”

Link was stunned, it had never even crossed his mind that his therapist might be gaslighting him. He recalled the times that Rhett had convinced him that his memories were false despite Link remembering exactly what happened. 

“What if you’re right about this?”

“I’d say you should confront him about it or just find a new therapist.”

“You make a really good point, but I hope you’re wrong.”

“Me too...At least talk to him.”

“I will, for sure.”

\----------------------------------

The two men found themselves sitting next to each other in a booth at a bar soon after dinner, engaging in much lighter conversation. Link wanted to steer clear of going home for a bit, to forget about his problems for a moment and focus on his friend. Link felt like he could be a little more lax around Trevor now that he was technically single. 

“So what made you want to text me that day? Why not reconnect with any of your other friends?” Trevor nudged Link with his shoulder playfully and lingered there for a moment. 

“Honestly, I remembered you from school so I guess I was just more comfortable being around you. You were familiar to me, if that makes sense. A lot of guy friends I had were from Krista’s crowd. They were nice enough but I didn’t care to rekindle those friendships.”

“Yeah I remember you in high school, you were really shy and didn’t like to go out much. I always thought you were cute. Even when you had your head shaved.”

“Oh gosh. That was the worst, my mom always made me shave it during the summer. I remember kinda liking you, but you were way more popular than me. I didn’t think I even had a chance of being your friend. It’s amazing how none of that crap matters after you graduate.”

“I’m pretty sure people liked me because I looked twenty-one and could buy booze. I would invite people over and it was mostly them getting me to buy them alcohol so they could bail on me and throw their own parties.”

“Really? I didn’t know any of that, I thought you were so cool. You should have invited me, I would’ve hung out with you.” Link laughed.

“I never thought you would even be interested so I never asked. You were always studying and stuff.”

“Yeah, my mom was always on me about my grades, and my dad was really strict so I probably wouldn’t have been allowed to hang out with you anyway.”

“Well we’re together now so I guess none of that really matters anymore.” Trevor smiled and winked.

After a couple drinks they found themselves laughing loudly, openly flirting and finding any excuse to touch each other. Shy arm grazes turned into a hand on a thigh, which turned into petting and leaning on each other. They conversed until the bartender announced last call around two in the morning, Link called himself a cab and the two went outside to get some fresh air and wait. 

“I’m gonna be completely honest with you Trevor, I don’t really want to go home. If I can even call it that anymore....I know this is way too forward, but would you let me crash at your place tonight?”

“My place? Like go to my apartment and sleep?”

“Yeah, just sleep. I’m not trying to…you know.” Link looked down and shuffled his feet.

“Trying to what?” Trevor raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Gosh I dunno, I’m a little buzzed, sorry. I wasn’t trying to...go home with you...in that sense...ah nevermind. I should probably just go home.”

“Jesus Link, it’s not that big of a deal. You can stay over at my place tonight, I don’t mind.”

“Thanks. Sorry for being so weird.”

“You’re not weird, you’re being really cute actually.”

Link was about to respond when the cab pulled up. Trevor opened the door for Link and followed him inside. Trevor gave the driver his address and when he sat back, Link met him with a coy grin.

“What’s that face for?”

“I don’t know...I don’t think anyone’s called me cute since I was little.”

Trevor moved his hand onto Link’s thigh, leaned in close and spoke above a whisper.

“That’s a shame, because I think you’re adorable. In every way. I love that you dressed up to see me tonight, and the way you push up your glasses. I love your smile, your lips…I can’t get enough of you.”

Link thought back to just a few hours before to when Krista was berating him for almost the exact same things, and he looked down at his feet. Trevor lifted Link’s face up with his hand and gingerly placed a kiss on his lips. Link responded with immediate eagerness, having not been lovingly touched in any way for so long. Link’s enthusiasm initially caught Trevor off guard, but he ardently caught up, parting Link’s lips with his own. For a moment Link was worried that he might have come off too aggressive, but as soon as their tongues met, any nervousness melted away and they remained in each other’s embrace for the rest of the cab ride. 

Trevor was loosely hanging onto Link’s waist when they entered the apartment. It was a decent sized studio with stylish, rustic decor. Link guided them both towards the bed in the corner of the room, which seemed to be the only place to sit besides an armchair in front of the television. A faint scent of cherries lingered in the air. Link laid back onto the bed and observed the room around him as Trevor took his shoes off. 

“What’s that smell?”

“Probably my Prime Times, I like to smoke when I’m working on a project.”

“Your film stuff?”

“Yeah. Specifically when I’m editing. That’s my little work space there.”

Trevor pointed to the armchair which had a laptop and a coffee table in front, and an ashtray full of broken and crushed cigarillo butts. It wasn’t much of a space, let alone a work space, but Link admired the way Trevor was content with it anyway.

“I’ll be right back.” Trevor stood up and took off his shirt in the process, revealing a heather tank top underneath showing off a frame almost as thin as Links. He reached into the drawer and took out what looked like a cigarillo.

“Planning on doing some editing?” Link cocked his head curiously.

“Not exactly, do you smoke?” 

“Oh, no I don’t really care for…” he trailed off as Trevor lit the cigarette, a familiar smell starting to hang in the air. “Ooh that kind of smoke…I think I’ve only done that once. In college maybe?”

“Wanna hit? If you get too weird you can just fall asleep.” Trevor sat next to Link again and held the joint in front of him.

“I’m worried I might take in too much and get stupid.” 

“How about a shotgun? That might be more comfortable for you.” 

“Uh, yeah sure. Let’s do that.”

Link didn’t know what a shotgun was but he didn’t mind getting a little high, he wasn’t planning on going anywhere so he figured if it got too uncomfortable for him, he would just pass out. Trevor took a small drag and created a circle with his lips. He gestured for Link to do the same and then slowly blew the smoke into Link’s mouth. Link figured out quickly what to do and within moments he was feeling giggly and weird. His anxiety vanished and he felt euphoric and confident. He took advantage of this fearlessness and started to kiss Trevor again. The bed was a lot more comfortable than the cab and they had a lot more room to use as well. Trevor laid back onto the bed as Link took the lead by kissing his face and neck. Link supported himself with his left arm and ran the other one up Trevor’s chest, using his hands to touch him all over as if he was trying to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Trevor was immensely ticklish and even more so after smoking, he couldn’t stop giggling between kisses and Link was loving every second of it. The two laughed and smooched throughout the night, with short breaks to make each other laugh and smoke a little more. Eventually they came down and fell asleep mid conversation, Trevor sprawled out and Link’s arm wrapped around his chest.


	6. Whiny Husband

Link had gotten home around one in the afternoon. the next day. He and Trevor had slept in until about eleven and then comfortably woke up and had breakfast. Trevor only had cereal but Link didn’t mind at all. Trevor drove Link home and they shared one more kiss before parting ways for the day. Link hadn’t been this rested in a long time and it felt incredible. He didn’t have any worries and the only thing on his mind was enjoying his day off. He wanted to hang out with Trevor all day, but he needed to clean up and figure out what was going on with Krista. Link walked into the house, a small feeling of apprehension creeping up as he looked around for her. It didn’t look like anything had been packed up yet so he thought maybe she planned on doing that another time. He didn’t really care, as long as he didn’t have to see her. He sat at the kitchen table, and almost as if she could sense his discomfort, Krista walked down the stairs. 

“How was your evening?”

Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard and it took everything in him to not visibly shudder. He took a deep breath and tried to distract himself with his phone.

“I had a really nice time actually, and I’d love if you left me alone about it.”

“Ooh it sounds like you had a really good time.” She shot back.

Link rolled his eyes and stood up to find a snack to take upstairs so he could lock himself in the room. 

“Why won’t you tell me? Worried that I’ll be jealous?” Her eyes followed him as he searched the pantries and cabinets.

“I don’t care about that, just please leave me alone.” Link pushed aside dated bags of chips and ignored a bag of veggie potato sticks, opting for something a little less healthy.

Krista was persistent though, she devised a plan that if she could catch Link confessing to casually sleeping with someone else, that she would get some more money when they divorced. She had her phone silently recording in her back pocket, she hoped to chip away at him enough to where he would eventually cave and just tell her.

“Aw, you know I don’t really care. I was just curious to see if someone was sad and desperate enough to take you home.” She tilted her head and gave a condescending smile.

Link slammed the cabinet, making Krista jump, he gave up the search for food and huffed, “Did I do something to you for you to treat me so badly? I can’t even go out and have a good time with my friends without you up my ass about it, or trying to make me feel bad.”

It didn’t matter if anything had happened between him and Trevor or not. Link would never tell her anything personal ever again, even if he was positive she wasn’t going to try and use it against him. He had permanently put up a wall against her and he planned on keeping it there. Unfortunately, Krista was the type of person who would raise hell if she didn’t get her way, and the less that Link divulged, the angrier she became.

“So you’re telling me that after our little fight, you didn’t go out and desperately try and get laid? I have a hard time believing that.” She crossed her arms shot Link a bitter look.

“Do you think that’s the type of person I am? After all these years do you truly think that’s something I would do?” 

“I don’t know Link, you tell me. You’re the one who ran off with your little crush last night.” She taunted.

Link silently fumed but replied calmly, “You know what, good luck finding someone else to love that cold heart of yours. You’re so desperate to hurt me and I’ve never even done anything to you. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were lonely for the rest of your miserable life.”

Link could tell that he had struck a chord, because Krista lowered her gaze. She snatched the phone out of her pocket and stopped recording. Link noticed what she was doing and shook his head.

“You’re an absolute moron if you thought you were going to get me to confess to whatever it is you thought I was doing. You should have at least pretended to care and maybe I would have let my guard down. Instead, you chose to tear me down completely so that I would never want to open up to you ever again. Smart move.”

“I’m the moron? News flash asshole, I’ve been sleeping with someone else for almost a year and you never once even suspected anything!” Krista exclaimed, knowing her recorder was off. She didn’t care anymore, she just wanted Link to hurt. She wanted him to feel stupid and embarrassed because that’s how she felt now. Link was having a hard time figuring out if she was lying or not.

“I highly doubt that, no one is going to intentionally stick their dick in crazy.” He goaded.

“I can even tell you his name if you don’t believe me.” She spouted off erratically, outraged that Link was mocking her.

“Yeah? Is it George Glass?” 

“His name is Rhett.” She hissed, seething at the fact that she knew she had said too much but couldn’t help herself.

Link froze and his eyes went wide. He thought he had imagined what he had just heard.

“What did you just say?”

“Did I stutter? His name is Rhett.”

Link hit the “Stop Recording” button on his phone and played back the last part. Krista’s jaw dropped and she tried to back track immediately. As soon as she had stopped recording on her phone is when he started recording on his, if only to play back the insanity for Trevor later. He didn’t expect a full blown adultery confession.

“Link, please delete that. I’m just angry, I would never cheat on you.”

“Get the hell out of my face, I need to make a phone call.” He waved her away.

“I’m serious, he isn’t even a real person I just made that name up.” Link could see the feigned desperation in her eyes. 

Link looked incredulous as he did a quick google search on his phone. 

“Is this the guy? McLaughlin?” Link held up his phone and the photo of Rhett stared back at her. 

Krista’s eyes widened and she subtly looked away. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Save your bullshit Kris, just tell me the truth.”

“Fine...it’s him. How do _you_ know him?”

Link moved in closer to her face and she could see a small bit of fire in his eyes. She was almost terrified at how calm he was. 

“News flash asshole, that’s my fucking therapist.”

\---------------------------

Link had asked Krista to leave soon after their spat, she took a small bag of things and went to her mother’s house. He wanted her to stay there indefinitely, but knew she’d have to come back some time to get the rest of her stuff. Once she was out of sight, he dialed Rhett’s number.

“Thank you for calling the Human Wellness Clinic, this is Rhett McLaughlin speaking, how can I-”

“Hey, it’s Link. I need to meet with you today if you can squeeze me in.”

“Yeah no problem, I’ve got all the time in the world. Can you meet me around three-thirty?”

“Are you going to change it to four when I get there?”

“I’m sorry what?”

“Nothing, see you soon.”

Link couldn’t get to the clinic fast enough, he was determined now. Meanwhile, Rhett was trying to figure out why Link’s attitude had changed. Clearly, he had figured out that the time mix-up was intentional, but Rhett felt a hair uneasy about Link wanting to meet suddenly. Several minutes went by and he could hear Link parking his car. He listened for the door opening and then the steadfast steps down the hallway, he had barely looked out the door and Link was already standing there. Barbara and Jade were right on his heels, unaware of the seriousness but looking forward to getting more scratches. Link sat down and Jade immediately jumped into his lap, pleased to see him again so soon.

“Is everything okay, Link?” Rhett inquired as he swiveled a bit in his chair.

Link didn’t answer, he grabbed the phone out of his pocket and played the recording. As it went on, Link watched as Rhett listened to Krista’s confession. Both of their faces holding the same expression for the length of the audio. Once it was over, Link put his phone away and was silent, waiting for Rhett to respond first. Rhett turned in his chair and finally replied, “I imagine you’re very upset with me.”

“Yes, but not because of this.” 

“What do you mean?” Rhett suddenly became very tense. He was used to having more control than this.

“I know you’ve been gaslighting me, and if sleeping with my wife is part of some sick trick to make me feel crazy so that you can keep getting my money, I’m going to take legal action.”

“Legal action? Like you’re going to sue me?” Rhett couldn’t hold back a smirk, he felt relieved knowing he could easily talk his way out of this.

“What’s so funny?” Link’s certainty wavered.

“Link, how do you plan on taking me to court? What are you going to tell the judge?”

Link hesitated, he hadn’t thought this far ahead and he suddenly remembered something very important. 

“Oh God...I never signed anything did I?” Link let out an agitated sigh.

Rhett’s smirk stayed put as he kept his eyes on Link.

“I never signed an agreement or a contract or anything…so there’s no proof that I’ve even been seeing you is there?” Link shook his head at his own blunder, knowing this could have been avoided if he hadn’t been so eager in that initial meeting.

“So what now Link?” 

“I’m just going to find someone else then. There’s no paperwork between us so I’m just going to find someone that actually wants to help me.” He felt defeated and exposed, feeling like Rhett had been taking advantage of him.

“Listen, I do want to help you. You don’t need to find a new therapist, why go through the process of pouring your heart out to an entirely new person or re-telling your life story again?”

“You’re just using me for my goddamn money! Why on earth would I stay with you?”

Rhett paused and leaned forward a little as he readjusted in his seat.

“I won’t charge you for anymore sessions if you decide to stay.” 

Link gave himself a second to reflect on Rhett’s offer. “You would do that?”

“Yes Link, I want you to know you can trust me. I meant it when I told you that I care about you.”

“Then why all the gaslighting?”

“What gaslighting? Give me one example.”

“Well...the appointment time mix-up for one…”

“Link that’s exactly what is was. A mix-up. One of us got the wrong time and that’s it. Don’t you think if I was trying to make you feel crazy I would do something a little less obvious?”

Link felt stupid now. He had rushed in here hoping to catch his therapist in the act of gaslighting and he just felt like an idiot now. He remembered the credit card fiasco, and figured it must have been a stupid mistake on his part. Every ounce of confidence Link had gained immediately left him and he felt small. He felt foolish for even questioning Rhett’s behaviours.

“Rhett, do you really intend on treating me for free?” He asked, feeling absolutely crushed and ashamed.

“Yes Link, I want you to trust me so I can help you. Even if that means losing a little money in the process. That’s how important you are to me.”

“I really appreciate the gesture but you don’t have to do that. Especially after I accused you of all that stuff.”

“I insist. I just want you to trust me from now on, and don’t talk to anyone about our sessions anymore. Is that how you came up with this idea that I’m gaslighting you?”

Link shifted in the chair, he was uncomfortable bringing up Trevor but he knew he should be honest. “Yeah, my friend Trevor suggested it. He meant well though. He said I should at least talk to you about it.”

“I see. Are you and Trevor close?”

“I’d say we are. I’m starting to fall for him.”

“You need to be careful Link, not everyone has your best interests in mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“How well do you know Trevor? Didn’t you two just reconnect after a while of not being friends?”

“I know him from school, we lost touch because I was keeping to myself for a long time. What are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything, you just have to be careful. Maybe you lost touch because subconsciously, you knew Trevor was a toxic person.”

“No, that’s not true. He’s been so kind and understanding. He’s not toxic at all. He’s even said that I deserve to feel better.”

“Okay, but If he wanted you to get better, then why would he try and impede your therapy?”

“No, no no. That’s not what he was doing. He would never. I think he was just concerned based on some of the stuff I told him.”

“What did you say that would make him think I was gaslighting you?”

“Well...I dunno. That you said everything was my fault, and that I was unstable. It seemed kind of harsh….I was just venting anyway…” Link tried to backtrack, thinking he might have said too much.

“Link, I’m your therapist. If I sugarcoat everything for you, how are you going to get better? You have to take whatever advice Trevor has for you with a grain of salt, he’s not a professional.” 

“I know…I think he was just trying to be nice.”

“Just use your best judgement Link. I don’t want you to suddenly mess up your healing because of some infatuation. I think it would be better for you to reconsider keeping Trevor as a friend.”

Link was torn, it wasn’t just infatuation, he knew the difference at this juncture in his life. He felt like Rhett had a point, but the thought of not having Trevor in his life made his heart feel heavy. He decided to change the subject, just the thought caused him too much anguish.

“I’ll think about it...but now we need to talk about you and my wife.” Link sat up straighter and cleared his throat. He honestly didn’t care who Krista was sleeping with, but he felt like he deserved to know the truth about what was going on at least. 

“Okay. So what do you want to know?” 

“How long has this been going on and did you know she was married?”

“She came to me almost a year ago. We exchanged numbers at some party a while back. I knew she was married, but I didn’t know it was to you until today. That’s the truth of it.”

“Why would you sleep with someone who you know is married?”

“I don’t care about that. It was her problem not mine. We had mutual...needs.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, clearly I wasn’t good enough. You two can have each other, I don’t really care anymore.” He wasn’t as angry as Rhett thought he would be and it was disappointing.

“Aren’t you mad at her? For pulling one over you? For betraying your trust?” Rhett prodded, trying to pull out some disdain or reaction. 

“Of course I am! She was so shitty to me and she was sleeping with YOU behind my back. It’s like she didn’t feel any guilt for what she was doing. Shows how much I meant to her.” Rhett’s ego inflated a bit as he watched Link grumble.

Link slumped back into the chair and Jade adjusted herself accordingly. He used his thumb and forefinger to rub the spot on the back of her neck between her ears. 

“Maybe you should do something about it.” Rhett didn’t have his notepad today and he kept his hands folded in his lap as he sat forward in his swivel chair. 

“Like what? I’ve already got proof that she cheated on me. I was going to use it if she tried to get more money out of me if we get divorced...when we get divorced.”

“You need to stand up for yourself Link. From what I can tell, she walks all over you and you just take it.”

“I thought everything was my fault.” Link shot a snarky look towards Rhett. 

“That was before I knew who your wife was. She is goddamn insufferable.”

Link couldn’t hold back a snicker. “You seem to like her enough.”

“I told you we have mutual needs, it’s strictly sexual between us. I briefly considered taking her out on a date, but I couldn’t get past her incessant bitching. Complaining about her ‘whiny husband’, her job, her this, her that...blah blah blah. Honestly you deserve an award, I’m surprised you haven’t hit her with your car at this point.”

Link winced a little at the term “whiny husband.” He felt like he had earned a better title than that. He was loyal and caring, and although he wasn’t perfect, he always tried to his best to appease Krista in all their years of marriage. Thinking about all the times she had been unnecessarily cruel to him, and how he just took it for so long, created a tight knot in his belly and his face followed suit with a scowl. “Yeah, she’s terrible. It’d be nice if she just went away and never came back.”

“It would be nice wouldn’t it?” Rhett agreed and the room went uncomfortably still. Link broke the silence and shifted in his seat.

“...Yeah, but that’s unrealistic. She’s got her mother and her job here, so I’m sure I’ll be stuck seeing her face around town until I’m dead or she’s dead.” The thought of having to see her blue eyes and fake dimpled smile stoked the fire in him. There was a another pause.

“What are you implying Link?” Rhett’s eyes were curious now, he could feel Link’s frustration growing and he wanted to use it.

“What? I’m not implying anything. I just said I’m stuck with her existence until one of us dies.”

“Exactly.”

The mood in the room shifted and they were both quiet. Rhett’s gaze bore into Link now, as if he was trying to telepathically tell Link exactly what was on his mind. Link’s eyebrows fell in semi-realization.

“What are you…?” Link couldn’t finish the question, he didn’t know if he was imagining Rhett’s implications or not.

“I was just saying that next time Krista tries anything, that you should stand up for yourself, I’ll have your back no matter what.”

“I, uh...I don’t understand.” 

“I think you do Link. I think we both understand that someone needs to knock some sense into her. By any means necessary.”

Link immediately felt uncomfortable, the anger he felt dissipated and turned into panic. He picked Jade up and gently placed her on the floor as he stood up to leave. She wagged her tail and watched him as he fumbled with the keys in his hand.

“...I need to uh, get home.”

“Yes of course. I’ll see you on Friday.”


	7. The Angry Little Girl

Link’s mind was reeling during the drive home, he was glad that the house wasn’t very far because he could hardly pay attention to the road.

_Was he trying to tell me to kill Krista? Or am I reading way too much into it? He said by any means necessary, what the hell does that mean? Why would he say that?_

He parked and made his way into the house and headed straight upstairs. Krista was on the phone, it sounded like she was talking to her mother. He didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Link fell back onto the bed and closed his eyes, he was exhausted from their fight that morning and then the meeting with Rhett right after. His phone pinged and it was Trevor.

Trevor: what’s up? can I come get you?  
Link: Yeah, give me a few minutes to get ready and then head over. :)  
Trevor: K see you soon. :0  
Trevor: :)*

Link smiled to himself and went to change his clothes. It was the same outfit he had been wearing since yesterday and he reeked a little. After standing in front of the closet for a bit, he decided instead to take some fresh clothes and then he would shower at Trevor’s place. He knew Trevor wouldn’t mind. He was just finishing packing a small tote bag, when he heard Krista making her way up the stairs. He wanted to avoid her so he panicked and locked himself in the master bathroom. He could hear her walking around and grabbed a comb off the counter while he was in there. He waited for what seemed like forever until it was quiet and slowly creeped back out into the bedroom. Link looked around and the coast looked clear, so he went towards the dresser to grab a pair of underwear. He pulled the drawer open carefully as to not make a sound and as soon as he reached in, Krista made her presence known.

“Going out again sweetheart?” Link jumped while simultaneously clenching the underwear in his fist. 

“Goddammit Krista, why are sneaking around like a creep?”

“Why are _you_ sneaking around like a creep? You’ve been as quiet as a mouse up here.”

“I didn’t think it was necessary to stomp around like a gorilla while I was getting ready.” He rolled his eyes and stuffed the underwear in his bag.

She stood there with her arms crossed and looked him up and down. “Getting ready for what? That’s the same thing you wore yesterday.” 

“Why does it matter?! Go away!” Link snapped at her, getting increasingly more annoyed.

Krista didn’t appreciate being spoken to that way, even if she knew Link held all the cards now. She had reached a point where she loathed Link so much, that she was willing to do anything to hurt him. She knew he had never done anything to her, but she hated the idea of him finding someone ‘better.’ She didn’t care if he left her, she hated the idea of being replaced so easily. She’d rather him be alone, than to be replaced. It tapped into her deepest insecurities from when she was a child. She was like a little girl who was angry at her dolls and sentenced them to death by lighting their hair on fire. It was almost satisfying for her to be unreasonably cruel to him and for him to just take it. She knew he would never do anything about it. 

“Where are you going Link? I’m your wife so you have to tell me.” She blocked the door as he tried to leave.

“What? I’m not telling you anything.” Link tried to shove his way past her but she blocked him again, balling up her fists.

“Tell me now.” She demanded, her eyes locked onto Link. 

“No!’ He tried to push past her again and she shoulder checked him hard, he lost his balance for a moment and then aggressively grasped her arm to move her away. She screamed and started hitting herself in the face, each slap harder than the last. Link grabbed her arms and tried to stop her and that made her scream even louder. He was worried that the neighbors might hear so he put his hand over her mouth. She used her now free fist to hit him hard in the face. She got his eye and he recoiled for a moment still holding her arm and mouth closed. 

“GODDAMMIT CALM DOWN! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Link yelled, his eye painfully starting to swell shut.

She bit his hand, which caused him to shout and let go of her completely. She ran downstairs and he chased after her, thinking she was going to try and run off and tell people that he hit her. He landed at the bottom of the stairs, breathless. He didn’t see her and the door was still closed so she must not have left. He took a few steps towards the kitchen and he found her standing there with a sizeable knife in her hand. Krista had a temper but Link had never seen it go this far before, he hoped she was just going for dramatic effect and he tried to remain level-headed.

“Kris, please calm down. There’s no reason for you to be acting this way.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, got it. Why are you doing this? Please give me the knife.” He reached his hand out cautiously.

Krista started to cry, still holding the knife out towards Link. 

“You’re just a pathetic, whiny, miserable jerk...how did you find someone new so quickly?”

“Are you jealous? Is that why you’re doing this?” Link still had the tote bag with his clothes in his hand. He thought maybe if he swung it towards her she would either react and lunge at him, or drop the knife. Hopefully it was the latter.

“Why would I be jealous of you? I could have anyone I wanted.” She gestured, waving the knife in front of his face.

“Okay fine, I believe you, just _please_ just give me the knife.” He pleaded with her, holding out his hand in a guarded stance.

Krista was shaking and she looked around as if to come to and realize what she was doing. She turned her head away in embarrassment as she handed the knife to Link. He snatched it from her and held it to his side, away from where she could potentially grab it again.

“Overreact much?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Spit flew from Link’s mouth as he yelled in her face. He was terrified and his adrenaline was pumping from the thought of almost having to defend himself from his knife wielding spouse. She was rattled and ashamed but she still had a rage burning inside her, and she was not letting up. 

“Just go away, I don’t want to look at you!” Her face was red and her eyes were puffy from crying.

“I can’t believe you, trying to come at me like that. Are you goddamn insane?” Link moved even closer to her face as he threw his hands up in frustration. They were less than two inches apart.

“Leave me alone!” It was Krista’s turn to get in his face, she was an angry little girl now, shouting at her father. He could feel the heat from her breath as she screamed, “I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!”

Link roared and shoved her hard. He immediately regretted it once he saw her bounce back from the counter and fall. She got up almost as fast as she had fallen and once she regained her balance, lunged at his throat with her hands out, screaming. He felt her grip his neck tightly and her adrenaline was going hard too because he instantly started to feel lightheaded. He grasped at her wrists but her strength felt inhuman. The last thing he saw were her blue eyes and the furious determination within them, and then everything went black.

\--------------------------------------

_What is that sound? Hammering? Who is nailing stuff to the wall at this hour...what hour is it?_

Each knock pulsated through Link’s head. He slowly opened his eyes and everything was blurry at first, then he realized he was on the kitchen floor looking at the ceiling. The hammering continued and he quickly realized that someone was knocking on the door. Link’s phone buzzed, he pulled it out of his pocket and saw Trevor was calling him. 

_Shit, Trevor’s here...why am I on the floor?_

He sat up slowly as he answered the phone. 

“Hey Trevor, I’ll be out in a moment. I must’ve fallen asleep or something.”

“No problem, I’ll wait in the car for you.”

Link hung up and tried to remember what happened. His head hurt and his eye was throbbing, he went to touch it and winced at how tender it was. He noticed the blood on his hand and after a moment, he started to remember pieces of what had happened. He recalled Krista hitting him in his eye.

_Krista and I were fighting...she had a knife...oh my God that bitch tried to strangle me!_

He only had to look up for a moment to find Krista, she was lying on the floor in front of him and she wasn’t moving. A pool of blood was creeping from an indeterminate area, soaking her clothes. 

“Oh god...oh GOD…” Link whimpered audibly, the color disappearing from his face. He crawled over to her and saw the knife she had been threatening him with earlier, lodged in her side at an awkward angle. He studied her face for any sign of life and there was nothing. Her eyes were cold and empty, opposite of when she had lunged at him. Link didn’t know what to do, he was afraid to call the police. Would they even believe this was self-defense? He felt his neck and could feel some light bruises forming, maybe he’d be ok. Link suddenly remembered what Rhett had told him.

_I’ll have your back no matter what._

Link grabbed his tote bag which had specks of blood on it. He walked outside and could see Trevor sitting in the car and playing on his phone. Link walked over and as soon as Trevor noticed Link’s face, his expression fell. 

“Oh my God, what happened to your face? Did she hit you?”

“Yeah she did....Trevor, something bad happened. Can you stay here with me? I don’t want you to go in the house but I need you here.”

“Yeah I can stay here with you. What’s going on?” Trevor turned off his car and got out. He put a hand on Links shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. Link threw his arms around Trevor’s neck and hugged him tightly, forcing Trevor to bend a bit, as he was about half a foot taller. Trevor returned the embrace, and after a few moments, Link stepped back a little and tried to reply.

“We were fighting...then she tried to choke me...when I woke up she was lying on the floor...I think she’s…” Link’s lip quivered and he began to hyperventilate. He let out a small pitched whine and broke down, his whole body shaking. Trevor didn’t understand exactly what was going on but based on what Link could muster it sounded serious, but he held Link anyway. Link took a few breaths and stepped to the side, he grabbed his phone and dialed Rhett’s number.

“This is Rhett-”

“It’s Link...is there any way you could come to my house? Something bad has happened and I need to call the police. I need you here too.”

“This isn’t normally something I do for clients, but I’ll be there.”

Link hung up and dialed 911. He explained to the operator what had happened, his wife had threatened him with a knife and then once he disarmed her she tried to choke him. He blacked out and when he woke up she had a knife in her side. The operator stayed on the phone with him until the police arrived. Rhett showed up right after and had Link retell the story again to him. Trevor stood off to the side, his gut turning at the seriousness of everything going on around him. None of it felt real. He watched as the police officers talked with Rhett and Link. It then dawned on him who Rhett was, and signals flashed in his brain that something was wrong. Rhett had his arm on Link’s back and although there was no talk about being exclusive with Link, Trevor was hit with a pang of jealousy. He hardly knew Rhett and he already couldn’t stand him. As far as he knew, Rhett was the man that had been gaslighting Link and calling him unstable, manipulating and breaking him down one therapy session at a time. Trevor couldn’t stand it anymore and despite not wanting to intrude on this very serious situation, he butted in between the two and replaced Rhett’s hand with his own. Link leaned into his shoulder naturally and Rhett shot Trevor a glare, which was duly returned. Trevor was almost as tall as Rhett was, so they were nearly eye to eye. Trevor took it upon himself to take on the role of Link’s shield against Rhett’s nefarious behaviour. The police were done interviewing Rhett and Link, and at this moment decided it was self-defense, based on Link’s bruises and Rhett’s confirmation regarding Krista’s anger and Link’s mental state. They asked Link if he had somewhere else to stay since now his house was a crime scene, and Trevor answered immediately, insisting that Link would stay with him, just in case Rhett decided to try and interject.

Rhett could see how protective Trevor was over Link and it got under his skin. His plan had worked somewhat, but Trevor was a serious problem now if Rhett was going to have Link all to himself. He wasn’t going to let this lanky hipster take this from him. Not now, not after Krista was finally out of the way.


	8. Al Pastor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a sex scene, sorry everyone. I tried my best. *shrug* The next chapter might take a little bit, it's written but I still need to do some finishing touches. Thanks for the continued support! Love you guys!

The drive was quiet on the way to the apartment, Link kept his hand tightly locked with Trevor’s as he watched the houses and people whiz by. People were just going about their daily lives as if his wife just hadn’t been discovered in a pool of her own blood just a short while ago. He was in shock about what had happened and was glad that for now, he couldn’t remember the details. Link didn’t know if being a murderer would be a dealbreaker for Trevor, but he was relieved that he had somewhere to stay. Trevor was a little shaken, but he didn’t want to show it or undermine Link’s feelings with his own, so he just put on a brave face and disguised his unease with genuine concern and support.

Rhett gave Link his personal phone number and insisted that he call if there was anything he needed to talk about. Link was haunted by the last therapy session they had and the ominous insinuations regarding Krista. He wondered if this was what Rhett actually wanted, or if he had just imagined the context behind Rhett’s words. He knew that he should call him soon to talk about it but he wanted to be with Trevor right now, in case this was the last chance he’d have to be together before Trevor figured out he didn’t want to be with an unstable and psychotic killer. It seemed like an eternity between when Link had called the police and when they found themselves finally back at the apartment, but it had only been a few hours. The first thing Trevor did was inspect the fridge for food. It was hard for him to believe that he and Link had been having breakfast together that same morning. He planned on taking Link out for dinner so he hadn’t eaten since then. He was still rooting around when Link walked towards him, his blood specked tote bag still in hand.

“You don’t mind if I use your shower do you? I’m a little gross…” This was the first time Trevor could really take a good look at Link since everything happened. Link’s eyebrow was swollen and partially scabbed over from where Krista had hit him. He also had small bruises formed on his neck and dots of blood on his shirt and face. There was also dried blood on Link’s hands, which were fidgeting with his wedding ring as he stood in the kitchen waiting for Trevor’s response.

“Yeah, no problem. I don’t mind. There should be soap and everything in there for you. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.” He gestured towards the small bathroom by the front door.

“Thanks Trevor...I appreciate you helping me out. I expected to come over today but not under these circumstances. I hope this isn’t weird for you or anything…” Link looked away while still fumbling with his hands. 

“No please, it’s fine. I don’t mind taking care of you.” Trevor walked over and kissed Link on the cheek and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. 

Link managed a small smile and made his way into the bathroom. It was the smallest he’d ever been in but he didn’t mind. He stripped off his shirt and jeans and noticed how much blood was really on them. He wished he could remember what happened after Krista started to choke him. He figured he must’ve stabbed her as a reflex. He recalled holding the knife away from her because she was waving it around trying to scare him and he wondered if she struggled or tried to fight back after the fact. From the looks of his clothes, it was messy, but he survived it at least. The blood had soaked through and gotten on his skin, there were sticky blotches of red on his legs and chest. Link turned on the shower and adjusted the heat, he ran his hand under and stepped in. The shower was hardly big enough to turn around in. He watched as the hot water effortlessly ran the blood off of him and into the drain. He closed his eyes and savored the warmth, and it immediately lifted his mood. A knock on the door startled Link and he called for Trevor to enter. “You might need this, sorry to bother you.” Trevor placed a dark blue, newer-looking towel on a bar by the shower and turned to leave, using his peripheral vision to steal a glance at the outline of Link’s body behind the steamed glass.

“No it’s fine, please stay and talk with me. I don’t feel like being alone with my own thoughts right now.” Link poured a dollop of shampoo into his hand and started to massage it into his scalp. He rinsed it out and found a bottle of body wash next. He popped the cap and gave it a sniff. A soothing scent of orange and eucalyptus filled the small space.

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude or anything.” Trevor replied, half-facetiously. He stood outside the shower door and watched Link, and could feel his jeans start to tighten. He found himself slowly starting to unbutton his pants as he watched Link intently through the foggy door.

“Jesus Trevor it’s not that big of a deal.” Link mimicked what Trevor had said on their last date and smiled to himself. “Unless you’re claustrophobic or something, then don’t worry about it...God, it’s tiny in here.” He poured some of the body wash into his hand and started to rub it into his arms and chest, creating a lather.

“Yeah it’s usually just me so I don’t really mind...” Trevor nudged his jeans to the side with his foot, then peeled off his shirt, followed by his tank top underneath. 

“Think you could fit in here with me?” Link challenged, knowing full well the implications of what he was asking. Instead of answering, Trevor kicked off his boxer-briefs, opened the shower door and stepped inside. It was so small, it made them impossibly close as soon as Trevor was able to squeeze himself in and slide the door closed. A giddy smile formed across Link’s lips as he turned to join them with Trevor’s. Trevor placed his hands on the shower wall, enclosing Link within his arms. The hot water quickly soaked his hair and made it stick to the sides of his face, he used a hand to push the hair out his eyes and then continued to plant kisses onto Link’s stubbled cheeks, working down to Link’s chin and then finding his way to Link’s neck. Link flinched a little when Trevor went to kiss him there, but the softness of Trevor’s mouth easily trumped the light pain from the bruising. Link put his arms around Trevor and held onto him tightly, as the water beat down on both of them, Trevor’s hands caressed the curves and edges of Link’s back. Trevor lowered his arms and grabbed firmly underneath Link’s ass and effortlessly lifted him up around his waist. With no trouble, Link wrapped his legs around Trevor’s hips and held on to Trevor’s shoulders. Trevor was almost as skinny as Link, so his strength caught Link by surprise. Using the shower wall as a support, Trevor used a free hand to graze Link’s entrance. Link had done this to himself many times, but feeling someone else down there sent him into a frenzy. Link grasped onto Trevor’s shoulders and pushed against him as Trevor slid an already wet finger inside. The water started to run lukewarm, so Trevor used his body to hold Link against the wall to make sure he didn’t fall, and then turned the shower off before it got cold. Link earnestly rocked himself up and down, begging for more contact. Trevor picked up the hint and slid another finger inside him. Link’s erection pressed harder into Trevor’s abdomen as he bucked even more, and his thighs gripped Trevor’s waist even tighter, feeling Trevor’s member teasing and sliding underneath him.

“I want to feel you Trevor...” Link whispered between breaths. Trevor removed his fingers slowly, adjusting Link to sit on top of his own erection. Still using the wall to support Link’s back, he firmly grabbed Link’s upper thighs again and let Link lower himself at his own pace. Link gasped as Trevor’s cock filled him, and excitedly dragged his teeth over Trevor’s earlobe a bit too hard. Trevor let out a short, audible whine and used the pain as an excuse to thrust hard into Link as a playful warning, Link let out a tiny yelp and dug his nails into Trevor’s shoulders, turning it into an enjoyable back and forth between them. Link had never had sex with a man excluding himself, but he was finding exhilaration in every second. He basked in the moment, scratching and biting while Trevor retaliated with harder thrusts until he was at the brink of climaxing and almost out of breath. Link could see he was close so he ran his hand through Trevor’s hair, grabbed a fistful and briskly pulled, Trevor growled and pushed even harder into Link, making the shower doors rattle and sending him over the edge. He moaned and caught his breath as he kissed Link’s face and lowered him down, too tired to hold him anymore. Link was fine with that since the wall was starting to hurt his back anyway. He led Trevor out and into the main room, and both of them collectively breathed in the cool air from the apartment, feeling immediate relief from the humid, steamy, bathroom. They made their way to the bed, still holding and kissing each other. Link started to touch himself, almost instinctively expecting to not get something in return. He was pleasantly caught off guard when Trevor quickly remedied this and forcefully took Link’s arms and held them down. He took no time in working his way down to Link’s erection. He flicked his tongue around Link’s member and his hot breath caused Link to squirm with delight. Trevor took all of Link’s length into his mouth and swirled his tongue around the tip repeatedly and with fervor. Link hadn’t gotten attention like this in so long, if ever, and it took everything to not lose control immediately. Link closed his eyes and wanted to grab a hold of Trevor’s hair again, but his arms were still pinned down, forcing him to grip the blanket instead. He felt the intensity building and a gradual tingle as Trevor’s head bobbed up and down quicker and deeper. Link bit his lip as he gave in, a wave of pleasure hit him and he let out a moan, arms resisting against Trevor’s grip, almost breaking away. Trevor let him go and Link put his now free arms around Trevor’s neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. He thought back to when this was just a dirty fantasy and how he pined for someone to touch him just like Trevor had. 

The two men laid there in each others arms for a while, on the verge of napping. Trevor nuzzled his face into Link’s neck and rested his eyes. His stomach growled and he realized he was ravenous, not having eaten since morning. Every ounce of sleepiness was soon replaced with pangs of hunger.

“We should get something to eat.” He said, just above a whisper into Link’s ear.

“God, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since...yesterday? No, it was this morning. I can’t believe it’s only been a half a day.” Link suddenly felt like he hadn’t eaten in years. 

“I’ll take you out to dinner, where do you want to go?”

“You’re already letting me stay here, I should take you out.”

“Hmmm...okay, deal.” Trevor hopped off the bed and went to put some clothes on.

“Well that was quick.” Link laughed and sat up, watching Trevor shuffle through his drawers.

“Honestly, I don’t care who pays. I would sell my right arm for a taco right now.”

“An al pastor taco?” Link suggested, raising his eyebrows. Trevor agreed with a comically excited look on his face and they non-verbally decided on al pastor as their evening meal.

\----------------------------------

Trevor and Link stood outside a shiny metal food truck, holding paper plates full of shredded pork and salsa, loaded onto corn tortillas. They had barely gotten their food before they started to scarf it down like starved teenagers.

“This is the best al pastor I’ve ever had.” Trevor crumpled up his plate and threw it in the trash. 

“They’re pretty good, but I know a better place. We should make a night of it and try out all the different spots.” Link finished his right after and tossed the plate in with Trevor’s. 

“That’s the kind of late night adventure I’m into, anything with food or…” His tone changed as his words trailed off. Link noticed Trevor looking behind him towards the line to the food truck and followed his gaze. Rhett was there, waiting in line and looking down at his phone, he glanced up for a moment and caught Trevor and Link watching him. He acknowledged them with a nod and went back to his phone. Link started to make his way over and Trevor gently grabbed his arm to stop him. 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea right now. We should head back.”

“It’s fine, I just need to talk to him for a minute.” Link shoved Trevor’s hand away and walked over towards Rhett. Trevor stood back and watched as Link asked Rhett to step aside and talk. Rhett was a little frustrated to lose his spot in line but agreed. They walked out of sight behind a tall wood-picket fence that was separating the dirt patch the truck was parked on, from a residential neighborhood. Trevor could see Link had his arms folded and looked serious, so he put himself on standby in case something happened.

\--------------------------------------

“Rhett I need to talk to you...a lot happened today and I haven’t gotten a chance to call.”

“Oh, have you been busy?” There was a twinge of jealous in Rhett’s voice as he glanced in Trevor’s direction for a split second. Link acted like he didn’t notice and cleared his throat.

“Ah, yeah. Trying to keep my mind off things.” 

“Yeah I’m sure...I told you to be careful Link, are you too blind to realize he’s taking advantage of your vulnerable state?” 

“That’s not what’s going on. Trevor isn’t like that.” Link stiffened and his voice got low. 

“You’re so stupid Link, I look forward to saying ‘I told you so’ in our next session, when you’re crying about how he fucked you and left you.” Rhett was heated, making it clear how jealous he really was.

“How can you say that to me? You’re supposed to be helping me, not calling me names!” Link tried to fight back tears, it hurt to hear those things from someone that claimed to care about him. Rhett put his arms around Link and held him.

“Link I’m so sorry, I think today has me stressed out too. I just want what’s best for you and as your therapist, I don’t think it’s healthy for you to be fooling around with people that may only have their own best interests in mind.”

“I’m telling you, Trevor isn’t-”

“I know you just want to see the best in people. You even tried to see the best in Krista, but look what happened. You wouldn’t want to have a similar altercation with Trevor would you?” Link was taken aback and tried to pull away, but Rhett held on to him even tighter. This felt familiar to Link, but he couldn’t piece together why. He started to feel a tightness in his chest and intense panic washed over him, he wanted to run far away.

“Rhett, let me go.” Link urged, his voice shaking. He tried to push Rhett away but his arms were locked tightly to his chest. For a second he felt like he couldn’t breathe, then Rhett loosened his hold and traced his finger down Link’s cheek. Link had never seen Rhett act this way before and it made his heart race with fear. He was hesitant to run, thinking it would make Rhett angry and retaliate, he also didn’t want to stick around to see what would happen next. Unable to decide, he froze.

“Link, tell me what really happened today.” Rhett’s eyes were as cold as Krista’s were.

“I, I don’t remember. Everything went black…” Link turned his head away, not wanting to look at him.

“You don’t have to lie to me. I’m not going to get you in trouble.”

_She tried to kill me first. It was self-defense, right?_

“I’m telling the truth Rhett, I can’t remember what happened…” Rhett grabbed Link’s face tightly and leaned in so close their noses almost touched. Link thought he might cry or scream, knowing he wouldn’t be able to fight off Rhett if he lost his temper.

“Just tell me that she struggled, and that you enjoyed every second of it. Tell me that you’re glad she’s gone and that you would do it again.” Rhett’s grip was unrelenting and Link’s face was already aching. He wished he had never stopped to talk to Rhett, he just wanted this to end.

“I’m-I’m glad she’s gone.” It wasn’t a lie but he still felt awful saying it out loud.

_She was so horrible to me._

“And tell me you would do it again.” His eyes were dark and unlike anything Link had ever seen, bordering on inhuman.

“I can’t…I won’t say that.” Link glared, and Rhett planted a hard kiss on Link’s mouth and then forcibly let him go. Link stumbled back and when he looked up, Trevor was already storming over. Rhett turned the opposite direction and hurriedly walked away. Trevor thought about chasing him but changed his mind, instead wanting to get Link out of here as quickly as possible.

“Get the hell out of here!” Trevor yelled from across the lot, watching Rhett get into his vehicle and zooming off. He instinctively took hold of Link’s arm and started to walk back towards the car.

“Get off of me!” Link wrenched away from Trevor’s grasp. “Why does everyone think it’s okay to just grab me all the time?!”

“Link, I’m sorry I was just trying to get us back to the car...”

“I know how to walk on my own. I don’t need you pulling me around like I’m some rag doll!” Link looked around and noticed that they had caused a scene and people were watching them. His face suddenly got hot and he knew he needed to leave. They hurried to Trevor’s car and as soon as he shut the door Link burst into sobs. Trevor went to rub Link’s back but Link instantly recoiled away, head in his hands. Trevor was confused and heartbroken, and he choked up trying to talk.

“What happened back there?”

Link was shaking and trying to take deep breaths, but he kept reliving what had just happened and couldn’t seem to calm down. “Why...didn’t you...stop him earlier?” 

Trevor’s face fell and he looked apologetic and hurt. “I didn’t see anything until the end, I promise. I thought I’d give you your space so I didn’t come off as this jealous asshole. When I went back to check on you, he had just kissed you and pushed you away. I’m so sorry Link...I would have protected you sooner if I could.” Trevor tried again to touch Link and wasn’t rejected this time. He held Link close to his chest, rubbing his arm and kissing the top of his head, desperately trying to make him feel better.

“It’s...not your fault…it’s mine...I’m sorry.” Link was crying into Trevor’s shirt and trying to catch his breath. Seeing Trevor’s expression fall made Link feel guilty, he knew Trevor hadn’t done anything wrong and regretted ignoring him in the first place when Trevor told him it wasn’t a good idea.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for sweetheart. You didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s get back home.” He kissed Link’s forehead and brought his arm back around to start the car. On the drive, Link was latched onto Trevor’s arm and his face was buried into Trevor’s shoulder. Trevor mostly stayed quiet and let Link softly sniffle to himself, occasionally reassuring him that everything was okay.

Once they got back to the apartment, Trevor found a DVD with classic cartoons on it to play in the background. He grabbed a box of crackers and let Link wear some of his pajama pants. They turned off the lights and only had the blue of the television to see with. They got under the comforter and Link rested his head on Trevor’s chest as they half-watched Tom & Jerry.

“Do you think I’m fucked up?” Link asked a few minutes into the show, keeping his eyes on the screen.

“I think we’re all fucked up. Some people are just better at hiding it.” Trevor reached for a cracker and bit off an edge.

“Do you think I murdered Krista in cold blood?” 

Trevor swallowed and hesitated. “No, you’re not like that.”

“She was a royal bitch and a half though.”

“I didn’t know her as well as you, but I definitely agree.” They exchanged sly, knowing glances. After the end of the first episode, Trevor’s face became very serious.

“What happened earlier? At the food truck.” 

Link swallowed the cracker he was chewing and paused. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. He grabbed my face and asked me these weird questions.” He touched where Rhett had aggressively squeezed his jaw. 

“Like what?”

“He asked me about Krista...like he wanted details. Then he told me to say I was glad she was gone and that I would do it again.”

“Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with this guy? Why would he ask you that?”

“I don’t know Trevor, he’s my therapist. He asks me all kinds of things. I think he was just stressed and out of sorts...” 

Trevor sat up and paused the show. He turned towards Link and put his hands firmly on Link’s shoulders.

“Link, one thing I love about you is that you want to see the best in everyone, no matter how horrible they are. But sweetheart, Rhett is bad news. There is something seriously wrong with him.” Trevor looked intensely into Link’s eyes. “I’m falling hard for you Link and I care about you. You push every day to make yourself better and it seems like whenever you walk into that office, it brings you back down.” Trevor held Link’s face in his hands now. “Some really fucked up stuff happened today, but it’s not because you’re a bad person...You’re not like him.”

“I want to believe you Trevor, but I just feel like he knows what’s best for me. He even said things might get worse before they get better. Maybe that’s just where I’m at.”

“Why would you believe a guy who slept with your wife for over a year and somehow didn’t put together that you were her husband? You say that he didn’t know but how could he not? How do you know he hasn’t been lying to you?”

“I don’t really know, but he stopped charging me for my therapy. Why would he lie to me if he’s not getting anything out of it?”

“I don’t know...Look, if you want to keep seeing him that’s on you, but I’m warning you, he’s not a good person.”

“He says that about you too. That you’re trying to impede on my progress.” 

Trevor made a face and huffed,“I don’t care what he says about me. I only care about how you feel. I want you to be happy and I don’t care what that means. If you need to stop talking to me, if you need to cut me out completely, then fine. Just do what you need to do.” He adjusted himself under the blanket and turned away from Link.

Link felt like his heart was crumbling into a million pieces. He needed Trevor more than air, but he needed Rhett too. He felt like Rhett was a crucial part of his journey to getting better, and he also wanted Trevor to be there at the finish line. He didn’t think he could do this without either of them.


	9. Don't Act Like This Is The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for some cringey assault stuff.

Around 1:00 a.m. Link’s phone buzzed and a familiar marimba ringtone broke the silence, Trevor stirred and grabbed it off the nightstand and nudged Link awake.

“Hey, your phone’s going off…”

Link groggily sat up and took the phone from him. Trevor settled back into his spot but held off on falling back asleep, hoping he was wrong about who he thought was calling Link so late.

Link grumbled into the phone, “Hello? Yeah hold on.” 

Link maneuvered himself over Trevor, kissed his cheek and whispered, “I’ll be right back.” He walked outside the studio and stood in the hallway. As soon as Link closed the door, Trevor hastily threw off the covers, creeped across the room and stood by the door to try and hear. 

“Why are you calling so late?” Link spat, feeling tired and bitter at Rhett.

“Link, listen-”

“Listen? After what you pulled today? You’re lucky if I even show up to another session!”

“Shut up and listen! The police called me a bit ago and asked me to come in for another interview tomorrow.”

“What? Why?” Link felt his heart jump into his throat.

“After inspecting Krista’s body further , they found multiple stab wounds and they want to investigate more into your mental health to see if this was...premeditated.” 

Link started to panic, he could feel his throat closing up as he tried to reply. “You’re going to tell them it wasn’t, aren’t you? That’s the truth. You know me, you know I didn’t do it on purpose...I don’t even remember doing it!”

“I will tell them that, but you have to do something for me first.”

“Are you kidding me? Like what?”

The only sound was Rhett softly breathing into the phone, then he replied abruptly. “I need you to take care of Trevor, like you took care of Krista. Soon. Tonight if you can.” 

Link’s heart was racing and he could feel his fingers get numb. He couldn’t stop his voice from shaking, “What does that mean?”

“Don’t be stupid, you know exactly what that means. Channel the part of you that fought off Krista and use it. I promise if you do, you won’t get into any trouble. You can claim self defense or even plead insanity and I will support you the entire way.” Rhett assured him.

Link, in awe of what he was hearing, tried to hold back from audibly whimpering as he let himself fall to the floor, “I can’t...Please Rhett, I’ll do anything else...”

Rhett was indifferent to Link’s plea, “I’m not asking. If you don’t do as I say I’m going to make sure they know how unstable you truly are. Call me when you’re done.”

The phone went silent and Link let it drop from his hand. He buried his head in his arms and expected to cry again, but to no avail. He had cried so much and been emotionally raked over the coals that he was starting to dissociate. He knew he should be more distraught, but he didn’t feel anything at all. After hearing the conversation had ended, Trevor walked out and sat down next to Link. He had only heard Link’s side of the conversation and it didn’t sound good. He put his hand on Link’s thigh and tenderly kissed his cheek. 

“Are you okay? Was that Rhett?” 

“Yeah it was…” Link sighed deeply. “I think this is it for me.” 

“What do you mean?”

“The police are going to interview Rhett tomorrow and he’s going to convince them that I planned Krista’s death.”

“What?...didn’t they already say you were clearly defending yourself?”

“Yes but apparently there was more than one stab wound or something, so now they’re going to investigate even further. I’m screwed.”

Trevor’s heart sank, he didn’t know what to say to make things better so he kept quiet and rubbed Link’s back. After a minute or so, Link let out a small shriek and started to pull at his hair with both hands. Trevor quickly grabbed at his arms to stop him. 

“Please don’t hurt yourself, you need to be calm. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Once Link let go of his hair and relaxed his hands, Trevor released his grip. Link sighed, “It’s not fine! He said he would help me out, but I have to do something for him.”

“He’s blackmailing you? What does he want?” Trevor’s face was visibly nervous.

“I can’t really explain...I don’t want to. Let’s just go to bed and I’ll figure it out in the morning.”

“Are you sure? You can tell me, I won’t get upset.” Trevor wondered if Rhett had asked Link for a sexual favor, or something along those lines. He certainly didn’t want Link to participate in anything like that but if it meant staying out of prison, he’d be able to forgive Link if he decided to go through with it. Whatever it was, it seemed out of the question and Link was adamant about not disclosing the details.

“I’d rather just spend this time doing something that makes me happy. Whether that means I’m going to prison or death row, I just want to be with you right now.”

The two stood up and walked back into the apartment. Trevor wanting to calm his nerves, picked up a half-smoked joint from the ashtray and lit it. He took a long drag, placed it back into the ashtray, and laid back onto the bed. Link picked it up and took an equally long drag. He didn’t know what was going to happen but he knew he didn’t want to be up all night stressing about it. He settled down next to Trevor and closed his eyes, thoughts swirling around and layering themselves on top of each other. He wondered what life would be like in prison, if he would be able to make friends or be alone. Would Trevor visit him or was this it? He wondered if they still had the electric chair around and what it would feel like to die, similar to that of a moth accidentally flying into a bug zapper. The high pitched sound of a screaming bug, along with the mental image of a moth being burnt to a crisp in a bolt of blue light, made Link snap his eyes open. He looked over and saw Trevor was either sleeping or deep in thought as well. Link leaned over and firmly planted his lips onto Trevor’s, startling him and making him jump and inhale sharply. Link couldn’t help but smile and went in for another kiss. This time Trevor was ready and now it was his turn to put his arms around Link and pull him in closer. They lost themselves in each other for a minute before Link briefly pulled away.

“I’m falling for you too, you know.” Link said above a whisper. “Whatever happens, I want you to know that. You’ve made me really happy the last few weeks. Like, happier than I’ve been in a long time.” Link rested his head on Trevor’s chest and closed his eyes. 

“Don’t act like this is the end, everything’s going to be fine. We’ll figure this out okay? I’ve got your back, no matter what.” Link thought about when Rhett had said the same thing and it created a lump in his throat. Link closed his eyes tightly and pushed the thought away. The two men then drifted off to sleep, letting the drug transform their worries into pleasant dreams. 

\--------------------------------------------

Link was jolted awake when his phone went off again in the morning. Trevor didn’t stir this time so Link crawled over and picked the phone up off of the nightstand, checking the time as he answered. 

_Four a.m._

“What do you want?” Link sighed.

“I told you to call me when you were done.” 

“What does that tell you?”

“It tells me you’re a coward.” Rhett retorted, “Enjoy prison.”

It suddenly hit Link and he panicked, “Wait.” 

Rhett didn’t answer but Link could hear him breathing so he knew he was still on the other end.

“If I do this, you have to tell me one thing.” 

“What?”

“Why can’t I just leave him? Why go this far?”

“I don’t want the temptation to be lingering around. I’ll explain more later.”

“...I’ll call you and let you know.”

“I’m proud of you for making the right decision. Everything will make sense soon.” 

\-----------------------------------------  
**Friday, December 23rd - The Christmas Party**

“Hey there’s a party tonight at the Albatross Bar! We should go!” Krista was finishing her Chinese takeout, and scrolling through her phone looking for things to do in the local area. She’d had a long few weeks at work and she wanted to let loose a bit. Link preferred to stay home and watch Netflix documentaries, so he was less than enthused about going out. 

“Ugh, I don’t want to deal with people tonight.” He sighed. 

“God you’re so boring. We never do anything anymore.” Krista whined, knowing it would get on Link’s nerves enough to make him give in. “Can’t we at least stop by? If it’s lame we can just come back home.” 

Link was really set on not going out at all, but he knew Krista had been busting her butt at her job recently, so he reluctantly agreed. “If you think it’ll be fun, we can go. You deserve a night out anyway.”

“Thank you baby, I’m going to start getting ready.” Krista put her empty box into the trash and headed upstairs. Link pushed around the hardly touched food in his container and started the mental battle with himself over going out and being social. Lately he’d noticed that spending time at bars with Krista and her friends was exhausting. He had to force small talk with people he hardly knew, which he made easier by having a drink or two, but then that turned into another drink or two, and so on and so forth. Usually the nights ended in some petty argument with Krista and a hangover that he didn’t ask for, which would leave him in a cranky mood the next day. 

_Tonight I’ll just let Krista do her thing, I won’t force myself to socialize and I’ll have one drink max._

Once they arrived at the bar, Link could hear the loud, bumping music from inside and he let out a long sigh. Krista could sense his annoyance but she did her best to ignore it. She was tired of caring about his social anxieties and wanted to have a good time, with or without him. 

“Go have a drink and chill out.” She patted his back and went ahead, immediately running into two women she knew, causing an eruption of high-pitched greetings. The ladies started chattering, barely acknowledging Link as he half-heartedly waved to them. He hadn’t even gotten inside yet and was already thinking up excuses to leave. As he wandered around the bar, he noticed the glittery, cheap Christmas decor hanging on the walls. He tried to find someone in the crowd that he might know but no one stood out. Despite the pep talk to himself earlier, he ordered a double shot of dark rum and sipped it while he sat against the bar and people-watched. Everyone seemed really jovial and in good spirits, dancing and laughing obnoxiously without a care in the world. His train of thought was broken when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hey, remember me?” A man about half a foot taller than him with medium length, dark brown hair smiled big at him. He clearly had a buzz going but he seemed to still be coherent.

“You look familiar but it’s kinda dark in here…can you refresh my memory?” Link didn’t want to come off as rude but he couldn’t place where he had seen him before and he wasn’t in the mood for guessing games.

He leaned in so Link could hear him over the music. “It’s Trevor, from high school!” 

“Trevor? Party kid? Wow, it’s been a long time!” Link remembered at once who he was, he had memories of having a huge crush and watching Trevor get so much attention in school. Everyone seemed to like him. He had the same haircut now as he did then, although he seemed to have a much better sense of style these days. Link discreetly looked him up and down and remembered why he’d fawned over him back in the day. Trevor was wearing a thin sweater with alternating stripes of different shades of blue and tight, black skinny jeans. He had the same build as Link but he was much taller. His hair was cut just above his shoulders and fell straight, and he had it pushed behind his ears, which made it stick out a little. Standardly a little hipster-ish but Link loved it.

“Yeah, that was me. What have you been up to? I think I saw somewhere that you got married?” Trevor sat on one of the barstools as to not tower over Link. Link leaned in closer to talk and pointed out Krista in the crowd. She noticed them talking while pointing at her and walked up.

“Y'all talking about me?” She plastered on a smile and shook Trevor’s hand. “Who’s your friend Link?”

“This is Trevor, a friend from school.” Link put his arm around her and she visibly shifted. “Trevor this is Krista, been married almost six years now.” 

“That’s right!” She patted Link’s chest and wiggled out from under his arm.

“Wow, that’s great! Congrats to you two!” Trevor gave a nod. A man with short, light brown hair walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. Trevor said something back quietly and the other man looked visibly annoyed and crossed his arms. Trevor put his hand on the man’s back and introduced him to Link and Krista.

“Link, Krista, this is my boyfriend Darren.” They shook hands and Darren grinned politely. “Nice to meet you.” His voice was pleasant with a hint of sarcasm. It seemed like he was anxious to leave but Trevor wasn’t ready yet. Neither of them wanted to make a scene so they shot each other annoyed looks instead.

There was a short awkward silence, then Trevor brought out his phone and stood up, “Hey, so why don’t I uh, get a photo of us? For the hell of it, I’m sure we’d all love to remember this moment. ” In truth, he secretly wanted a photo of Link to keep and look back on. It had been a while since they had seen each other and all kinds of feelings started to make themselves known during their interaction so far. Trevor thought a picture with just the two of them would make Darren upset so a group photo seemed more appropriate. Not to mention he absolutely loved the awkward tension the suggestion created.

Link snorted, “Yeah definitely,” also appreciating the awkwardness. After a brief hesitation, they agreed and Link stood next to Krista, while Darren leaned in towards them. Trevor snapped the photo and the group dispersed, Darren and Krista heading out to the dance floor towards their respective groups. Trevor and Link sat back down and motioned to the bartender for two more drinks.

“Your boyfriend huh?” Link smirked, glad to have the weird interaction over with.

“Kinda sorta, we’re more like roommates with benefits now.” Trevor swiveled his chair towards the bar and ordered a drink. “You want something? It’s on me.”

“Yeah sure, I’ve just been having dark rum straight.” Link held his glass out to show him and Trevor made a face.

“That sounds terrible, here try this instead.” He ordered two AMF’s and gave one to Link. Link took a long swig and loved it, the sweet, fruity flavor lingering on the back of his throat was heavenly. It didn’t take long for them to finish their glasses and order another round, which they proceeded to do for the next couple hours. The combination of the heavy alcohol content of the AMF, and Trevor’s delightful company, lifted his mood and inhibited his worries. Link was having such a good time, he wondered why he was such a sourpuss about going out in the first place.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the bar, Rhett had his sights on a pretty blonde dancing with her friends. He wondered how drunk she was already and if she would be easy to bring home. He hated being in public and had only gone out to try and get lucky, as it had been a while for him and he was starting to get agitated and restless. He didn’t know what it was about his personality that scared people off. According to Rhett, he had a great sense of humor, lots of money, he was incredibly handsome, impeccably charming and very intelligent. Anyone would be lucky to have him and it made him increasingly bitter that no one ever stayed. He sauntered over behind the woman and placed a hand gently on her waist. Krista was taken by surprise but once she looked up, a seductive smile formed across her lips. She was drunk and eager to be touched by this new, very good-looking man. He bent down and placed soft kisses along her neck as they swayed to the music. Her friends giggled and turned a cheek as she backed up and pushed into his groin, grabbing his hands and leading them all over her body. Rhett was getting more and more turned on with every passing minute. He held onto her hand and pulled her into a short hallway by the bathroom. They danced in secret for a moment and he pulled her into a kiss. She reciprocated, parting his mouth with her tongue, he could taste a mix of whiskey and lemon lime soda on her lips. 

Link and Trevor had now put down a few shots each and were laughing loudly at the bar, reminiscing about their former classmates and observing everyone’s gradually rambunctious behavior on the dance floor. They pointed out a woman slapping her friend and leaving, a guy falling asleep standing against the wall, and a group of older men trying to dance with younger women and getting rejected. The two were almost in tears when Trevor pointed at a couple that caught his eye. 

“Hey get a load’ve this guy creeping up to this blonde lady...Jeez, he’s probably taller’n me!” Trevor slurred, trying to keep his balance on the barstool.

Link turned and immediately saw the couple in question. His eyes got big as he threw his hand back to hit Trevor’s arm and yelled, while also trying to sound coherent, “Thass Krista!”

“Oh shit…” Trevor downed the rest of his drink and stood up. “Should we get him?”

Link looked curious, he let out a laugh and shook his head. “No, let’s watch.”

“Dude, are you sure? What’ve something happens to her?”

“We’ll be right here, don’t worry.” Trevor sat back down and they watched as Rhett boldly made advances towards Krista and she eagerly accepted them. Link watched in awe as she guided his hands all over her, in front of everyone on the dance floor. He couldn’t remember the last time she did something like that for him. Link’s eyes followed them as they went into the hallway, that’s when he stood up. Trevor followed suit and they carefully made their way through the crowd. Link pushed his way through a small bunch of people blocking the hallway and found Rhett and Krista making out. He cleared his throat loud enough for them to hear and Rhett looked up and gave Link a confused look.

“Excuse me, we’re kind of busy.” He grabbed Krista’s hand and went to pull her with him. Once she turned and saw Link, her face went white and she looked mortified. She turned to Rhett and snatched her hand away, wordlessly storming away in shame. Rhett furrowed his brow and started to walk in her direction. Link put his arm out to stop him and stepped closer.

“Hey buddyroll, thass m’wife.”

“Shit...I didn’t know.”

“Yeah you two weren’t really doing much talking. S’fine, clearly she wasn’t putting up a fight. Just leave her alone now kay?” 

“Yeah, sure…” He stumbled over his words, taken aback by Link’s presence and forgetting Krista almost completely. Link didn’t dress particularly special tonight but Rhett remained in awe of him anyway, his heart beating faster with every second. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but he felt like he needed Link, right then and there. Rhett wanted to keep him forever. Link started to walk back towards the bar and was stopped by Rhett’s arm, he could see that Link was incredibly intoxicated, as he was wobbling where he stood. 

“What?” Link snapped.

“Nothing, um...can I show you something?” Rhett made up an excuse and grabbed Link’s wrist, pulling him into the same hallway. Link was too drunk to put up much of a fight as Rhett dragged him into a darker corner in the back of the hallway, leading towards the exit. Trevor was standing a ways back and trying to find Link, he was tall but he still couldn’t seem to find Link in the crowd. Just then Darren walked up and pulled at Trevor’s sleeve.

“Babe, let’s go I’ve got work tomorrow.” He griped as he held onto Trevor’s hand and started to walk towards the entrance of the bar. 

“Can you wait a sec? I’m looking for my friend…” Trevor stayed put and eyed the crowd again, now feeling concerned. 

“No, we need to go now!” Darren tightened his grip on Trevor’s hand and pulled him. Trevor tripped forward and almost lost his footing. He shot Darren a dirty look and after one more scan, hesitantly walked back with him, keeping his eyes open for any sign of Link in the crowd.

Meanwhile Rhett was pawing over Link, whispering into his ear how badly he wanted him. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen…” Link was trying to resist, but his head was swimming from the alcohol and he could barely stand. Rhett held onto him tightly and started to kiss him, his hand wandered to Link’s ass and squeezed hard. He didn’t know what had come over him, but he felt an uncontrollable urge to touch Link all over. 

“Stop…” Link mumbled, jerking his head in opposition of Rhett’s advances.

“Please…I need you.” Rhett said in a breathy voice. Link finally gathered himself and in a panic, headbutted Rhett as hard as he could muster. Rhett released his grip and floundered backwards, holding onto his face. Link found his balance and instead of looking back he scrambled out of the hallway and into the crowd, nearly falling into a group of people. His heart was pounding, thinking Rhett was right behind him. Link’s head was still foggy but the fear running through his veins helped him gather his thoughts. He found Krista at the bar having a drink and stopped short of knocking her over.

“Kris, we need to get outta here.” She saw the seriousness on his face and grabbed her purse. 

“What’s going on?” She waved to her friends as Link rushed her out of the bar.

“Someone assaulted me…” He rubbed his temple, trying to think and wishing he was sober.

“Who?” 

“I can’t remember, he was tall…” All he could remember was a tall figure now, the details of Rhett’s face lost in the darkness of the hallway. 

“The one who tried to dance with me?” Krista asked nervously, hoping she didn’t cause a physical altercation between the two.

“What? Who tried to dance with you?” Link couldn’t remember, his brain was scattering bits of information around and he was desperately trying to hold onto each piece.

Krista looked at Link stunned, “Oh my God how much did you have to drink?” 

_Too much._

There was a line of cabs outside the bar and Krista knocked on the glass of the nearest vehicle. The window rolled down and Link leaned against the vehicle.

“I’m going to leave him here for a minute, I left my credit card inside. I’ll be right back.” The driver nodded and Krista opened the door for Link to crawl inside. He curled up on the seat and placed his head on the window and closed his eyes, his head was spinning and he thought he might be sick. Krista hurried inside and beelined towards the bar.

\----------------------------------------

Back in the dark hallway, Rhett had retreated to the bathroom. Link headbutting him had split his lip and caused his nose to bleed. He looked at himself in the mirror, stuffing tissues into his nostril and tilting his head back. Once the bleeding subsided, he smacked himself on the side of the head.

_Goddammit I should’ve known better! Stupid...now he’s gone and I’ll never see him again. I didn’t even get his name._

He blotted the red in his beard and tried to spot clean the drops that landed on his shirt. After a few minutes he replaced the tissue and headed back into the bar. No one seemed to have noticed the chaos, he could hear laughter and loud chatter throughout the bar. Rhett walked out into the crowd and looked around for any sign of Link. He scoured the bar and when he saw Krista speaking with the bartender and signing her bar tab, his heart skipped a beat. He didn’t know what he should say but he knew she was the key to finding out who Link was. Rhett rushed over and she had gotten her card and was heading the other direction by the time he reached to where she was. He stretched out and tapped her arm. She turned around and when she saw him her eyes lit up, and then a look of concern spread across her face when she noticed the tissue sticking out of his nose.

“Did Link attack you?”

“Link?”

“My husband.”

_Link..._

Rhett paused and had to ponder a moment, he brought his hand up to touch the tissue and remembered that his nose was bleeding. He had a name now.

“Oh, no. This was just me being clumsy. Your husband was very polite actually. I’m so sorry about earlier.”

“Oh don’t even worry about it, in fact…” Krista took out a business card and handed it to Rhett. “If you ever need to talk about industrial kitchen appliances...or anything else, give me a call.” She winked and subtly blew him a kiss as she turned to leave. Rhett looked over the card for details.

_Krista Neal. CFO of whatever. She’s the key to Link...I’m going to be smarter this time._

Outside in the cab, Link had one foot up on the seat and the other firmly placed on the floor of the car, trying to keep his balance. He wasn’t falling but planting his foot made his head feel like it wasn’t spinning completely out of control. He heard the driver mutter something about charging them if Link decided to throw up. Link let out a small groan and let his head fall back onto the glass. He was trying to remember what had happened but every detail was jumbled up and spinning away into the blacked out parts of his brain. He knew something was wrong but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He wished he hadn’t drank so much with Trevor, despite the fact that he was having a good time up until whatever it was that happened. His last solid memory was sitting at the bar laughing and thinking how sweet and genuine Trevor’s smile was. After that, things were very hazy. 

The sound of the car door slamming shut startled Link, he opened his eyes momentarily to see what happened and he saw that Krista had gotten into the front seat. He closed his eyes as the cab drove them back home, letting his head roll with each bump and turn. Link fell asleep and the next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake and told to get up. He made it out of the cab and dropped onto the couch as soon as they got inside. The last thing he remembered were the faint sounds of Krista complaining about how irresponsible and thoughtless he was as he drifted off into a drunken slumber, all traces of the evening pushing their way to the darkest corners of his mind, disappearing from Link’s memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AMF = Adios Mother Fucker:
> 
> ½ oz. Vodka.  
> ½ oz Gin.  
> ½ oz Rum.  
> ½ oz tequila (optional)  
> ½ oz Blue Curacao  
> 2 oz sweet/sour  
> Top with 7UP and a cherry, enjoy responsibly. <3


	10. Rhett II

Rhett was sitting in his office, anxiously tapping his foot. It had been an hour or so since he’d called Link and gave him the ultimatum regarding Trevor. He had done as much as he could to influence Link and he needed this to work. Initially he just needed to get rid of Krista, but of course Link had to get mixed up with someone else. Now he had yet another person to deal with. Rhett didn’t have a problem with making people disappear if it meant he was going to get exactly what he wanted. If it didn’t work, he had no qualms if Link took the fall. He loved Link but he loved himself even more. He was obsessed with the idea of creating a world just for the two of them and since the night he met Link, he’d been crafting a way for them to be together. It started with a call to Krista one day, asking for her to come over about a month or so after the night they had met. They already had chemistry, but he wasn’t sure if he’d waited too long. He thought she may not be interested anymore and that he’d lost his chance. It turned out she was just as eager to meet up, if not more so since some time had passed. The first time they had met up, she wasn’t much for talking. She seemed starved for affection, hungry for something new and exciting. She confessed to not being attracted to her husband anymore, and that sex with him was a chore, yet she wasn’t willing to do anything about it except for find other partners. She never communicated to Link how she felt, she just expected him to know. From what Rhett could tell, Krista was a spoiled brat that needed to get her ass spanked. Not in a playful, sexy way, but in a disciplinary, actually-teach-you-a-lesson kind of way. Rhett would usually have Krista meet him in his office, since there was a couch and it was always empty, but occasionally he would find an excuse to meet at her place. He loved those days because once he’d walk into the house, Link’s essence was everywhere and it drove him crazy. It brought him back to that night where Link was his, even if it was short-lived. After he and Krista had their time together, she would go to the bathroom to clean up and Rhett would search through Link’s drawers. He would bury his face into Link’s shirts and get drunk off of his scent. Krista had walked in on him as he was going through Link’s underwear once, and when she asked what he was doing, he said he had used his to clean up and needed a fresh pair. She didn’t seem to care so he took an older, worn out pair and brought them home to keep under his pillow. Months went by and he learned more and more about Link. Where he worked, how he lived, and even about his mental health. Rhett would snoop around when he visited Krista at the house or go through her purse when she came to visit him, scavenging for any tiny pieces of information he could get his hands on. He would park outside Link’s office building ten minutes before he got off and wait for him to leave, just to watch him for a few moments. Rhett also liked to frequent where Link liked to go out to eat or where he bought groceries, casually following him from far behind and observing his every move. He loved to watch Link whenever he could. One day, Krista had been caterwauling about one thing or the other regarding Link moping around and being depressed about work, and Rhett suggested that she tell him to look up a local therapist for help. Rhett had been in social work for a while and he was a licensed psychologist. He couldn’t prescribe medication but Rhett was very good at manipulation and being persuasive. He toyed with previous clients on smaller scales, convincing people to break up with their significant others for fun or even getting people to admit things they didn’t actually do. He thrived in this environment and he was glad to be one of the only therapists in the immediate area. Los Angeles was huge but in their neck of the woods, his office was the closest to Link’s house. That wasn’t an accident either. Rhett had rented an office space close by so he could show up as the nearest and most convenient option, increasing his chances of Link choosing him. After all his careful planning, it all finally came together. The day Link showed up for his first appointment was nerve-wracking, Rhett had so much confidence up to that point but when he saw Link for the first time in almost two years, it took everything to not lose his composure. He felt the urge to hold on to Link like he did that night in the hallway, and never let go. He wanted to take Link right then and there, but Rhett knew he needed to be patient a little longer. The idea was to make Link yearn for him, just like he had yearned for Link this whole time. Rhett was going to make Link want him, and make him do whatever was asked of him. He was going to break down this man’s dignity, sanity, and soul in order to get him exactly that. Not once did Rhett feel like he was going overboard, or that he was being obsessive or psychotic. He felt in his heart that this was exactly what he needed to do to be happy and complete. Every day that went by that Link wasn’t completely his to control, was considered a failure. Rhett was so close, and once this final obstacle was cleared, Link was going to be all his forever. 

He knew he had Link trapped now. The choices were either go to prison, possibly get the death penalty, or do what was asked of him. Rhett believed he had set the cards correctly, and now Link was going to do exactly what he was told. He was able to set up Krista’s death to where Link had no choice but to believe he had murdered his own wife. If Link felt he had that power in him, then maybe he could bring himself to actually kill someone. It had worked out in Rhett’s favor that Krista had called him to the house to comfort her during the night and when Link had gotten back home, they were both taken by surprise. Rhett had hidden in the living room coat closet like from some sort of tacky sitcom and waited. He heard the ugly snipes develop into screams and the shuffle of feet running down the stairs. He heard Link talk Krista down and then heard the way her back smacked against the kitchen counter. Then there was an ugly scream, followed by the sound of the two falling to the ground. Rhett stepped out of the closet and watched as she choked Link into a blackout. He stopped moving and she assumed Link was dead. The truth is, when you strangle someone, they don’t die after a couple minutes of not being able to breathe. In the movies, you can strangle someone for thirty seconds and they die. In real life, it would take an hour of strangling someone to actually kill them. The moment she let go of Link’s throat, his brain switched into survival mode and was bringing air back into his lungs and up to his brain. She had simply knocked him out for a bit. Krista stood up, proud of her feat and looked over to see Rhett standing in the living room, having watched the entire scene. Rhett knew she hadn’t killed Link but the fact that she had tried created a sick, protective rage within him. He ran over, grabbing the knife from the floor in one fell swoop and buried it deep in her side. She writhed and tried to let out a scream or a cry but the shock was too much and she couldn’t make a sound. Rhett brought the knife back out and punctured her side again. She was bleeding profusely and he could see the color fade from her face as she fell to her knees. He stood there and watched as she fell completely onto the floor and twitched for a moment before releasing her final breaths. He took a dish towel from the sink and wiped his fingerprints from the knife and dropped it back on to the floor, stuffing the towel in his pocket and heading towards the front door. He could hear a car pulling up and he wondered if the neighbors heard the commotion and called the police. Rhett didn’t care to find out and hurried out the back instead, making a quick scan for anything left behind. Nothing. The scene was laid out in such a way, that Link would think he murdered Krista in a blind defense mode. This was not a part of Rhett’s plan, in fact it was sloppy and potentially a risk for him, but at least he was able to take control and make this work in his favor. Almost an hour later, Rhett got the call from Link asking for him to come over. He didn’t know if it was a trap but there was no way he would have any ties to the scene, so he went. It was the perfect excuse to console Link and keep an eye on him. When Trevor stepped between him and Link, it took everything inside of Rhett to not retaliate violently. He had a feeling that Trevor wasn’t going to let Link go easily...if at all. He was going to have to think of something new. He wasn’t sure exactly what, but he did know that Trevor wasn’t going to survive the night.

Rhett kept glancing at his watch. Time was dragging on achingly slow waiting for Link to call back. He knew the scene at the Al Pastor food truck might have mucked up things but he knew Link would still be obedient. Link cared about his mental health and Rhett had done his best to try and make Link believe that he was the only one who really understood him. Hell, maybe the whole fiasco cemented that idea in Link’s mind. Rhett had lied about there being another interview with the police, but he needed Link to believe there was no other choice. The consequences had to be severe. He would explain everything when the time was right. He knew Link would be understanding...maybe they could laugh about it later on down the line. He just wanted Link to give him this chance, to prove that he’s everything Link would ever need. The phone rang. Rhett jumped and his heart raced.

_He did it...I can’t believe he did it…and he did it for me…_

Rhett shook off his elated feelings and put on the cold facade he had been using, “Hello?”

He was met with choked sobs on Link’s end, “I need you to meet me at the top of Trevor’s apartment complex. Please.”

“Did you do what I asked?” 

Link was almost incoherent, “ _Yes,_ and I’m going to jump off of this building if you don’t meet me soon...I can’t live with myself for doing this.”

_Don’t kill yourself you moron, we’re going to be together soon. Everything’s going to be perfect from now on._

“Don’t move...I’ll be there soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left! Sorry it's taking so long to post, I've been slacking. The story is done but I want to make sure I've included everything I need to. <3


	11. Going Home

Rhett drove fast and carelessly on his way to the apartment building. All he could think about was saving Link and coming out looking like the hero. He hoped he wasn’t too late. Rhett knew what a waste it would be if Link decided to kill himself, all the time and effort put into this operation would be for nothing. Once Rhett arrived at the building, he haphazardly parked and ran inside. He found the elevator and hit the button that took him to the thirteenth floor, anxiously bouncing around as it rumbled and began it’s ascent. The top floor led to a facilities room that stored cleaning supplies and equipment. From there, a small set of stairs took him to the roof. Rhett burst through the door and looked around. There wasn’t much on the roof, a lot of bird droppings and windblown trash. He noticed Link sitting on the edge of the roof looking down and he treaded carefully over. 

“Link...it’s me.” 

“I know. You’re all I have left now.” Link didn’t turn around. He kept staring down at the city below.

“It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay.” Rhett was standing behind Link now.

“I don’t think so.” Link sighed.

Rhett looked Link up and down and noticed the blood on Link’s pants and shirt. He knew that Link had done what he had asked and was overwhelmed with delight. Link was slumped down, his cheeks were tear-streaked and his eyes showed strain and remorse. For a moment Rhett felt sorry for him, but it washed away quickly. Rhett’s heart had no room for pity or empathy. Link stood up carefully and gazed down onto the smoggy city. 

_Thirteen stories is a long drop. Definitely fatal._

“Rhett, why did you want me to kill Trevor?” Link broke the silence abruptly. Rhett didn’t want to explain while Link was hovering on the edge of a thirteen story building and hesitated.

“Let me take you home and explain everything there.” Rhett reached out his hand towards Link. Link looked at it and then turned back towards the city.

“I’m not leaving here until you tell me.”

Rhett watched as Link kicked a tiny piece of debris off the edge. It skittered off and disappeared.

“Fine…” Rhett put his hands into his pockets and paced around in a circle, trying to think of the right words. “...The truth is that I want you all to myself, so I needed Krista and Trevor out of the picture.”

“Why would you want me all to yourself?”

“Because _I love you Link._ I loved you from the very moment I saw you. I love everything about you and I want you to be mine and only mine. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

“So you wanted me to kill the people that I care most about? How is that loving me?” Link appeared incredulous.

“It’s so we can be together. Now that Trevor is gone you won’t be tempted to go back to him.”

“What about Krista? Did you want me to kill her too?”

“Yes and no. I wanted her out of the picture by any means necessary but I didn’t expect for it to happen when it did. Also...it wasn’t you who killed her. She had called me to come over and you happened to show up. I hid and after you blacked out...I took matters into my own hands.”

“What? _You_ killed her?” Link became visibly angry.

“Link she strangled you! I couldn’t stand to see you hurt. I love you so much.”

Link was quiet. His face was pensive and he looked up and saw the desperation in Rhett’s eyes. He was livid, even if he felt that Rhett was being honest. 

“So I didn’t kill Krista, but you made me believe that I did. Why?”

“I needed you to find it within yourself to take care of Trevor. I hoped that if you believed you had it in you to murder your own wife, that you’d be able to really do it.”

“That’s insane! You manipulated me!”

“I’m sorry Link. I did it so we could be together.”

“What did you mean earlier when you said you loved me from the first moment you saw me? Has this been going on since our first therapy session?”

Rhett was quiet this time. 

“Rhett?”

“Longer than that. Since the Christmas party a couple years back.”

“Christmas party?”

“Yeah. I’m sure there’s a lot you don’t remember. You were...pretty inebriated.”

Link didn’t answer. Rhett was right, most of that night was a haze.

“When did you see me?”

“I uh, was flirting with Krista that night. I didn’t know you were together. You came over and told me to back off.”

Link thought for a second. “You were dancing with her right?”

“Right...though like I said, I didn’t know you were together then.”

“But you knew after. So the whole time you were sleeping with Krista, you knew we were married.”

“...Yes. I lied about that too.”

Link was unraveling a mystery piece by piece. It was a lot at once but he was able to grasp it and hold himself together. Everything was finally starting to make sense but he wanted more information. He felt so stupid for not figuring any of this out and for not listening to Trevor. 

“What else aren’t you telling me?”

“That’s all, I promise. Everything that’s happened has been leading us to one another.”

“If you’re not going to be honest with me I’ll jump right now.” He inched closer to the edge.

Rhett took a step forward but Link stepped the opposite direction, like a dangerous dance of life or death. 

“Tell me what happened at the party.”

“I just came on to you is all.” Rhett was fidgeting.

“You’re lying.” Link snapped with disdain, he was tired of sifting through lies.

“I swear that’s all it was. I came on to you and you rejected me.”

“If you won’t tell me, fine. But I can’t live with all these lies, or the guilt from killing Trevor.” 

Link quickly made another step, to show he was really going to jump, in doing so he stumbled. Rhett panicked and lunged towards him. In a swift motion, Link stepped back and Rhett flew off. His arms scrambled for the ledge and he was holding on for dear life. Link looked down at him and for the first time, saw a real human emotion within his eyes. Fear. Rhett had no grip whatsoever and his hands slipped off. 

“Link!” Rhett screamed as a desperate cry for help. It was his last word as he plunged down into the dark.

Link hurriedly ran back towards the roof exit. He jogged down the stairs and made his way to the elevator. He stopped at Trevor’s floor and made his way down the hall to Trevor’s apartment. The door was unlocked so he let himself in and plopped down onto the bed. It was deadly silent around him. He was surprisingly calm despite what had just happened. He felt relief, and freedom. Link’s mind was clear for the first time in a long time. Once Link was put under pressure from Rhett’s demands, the stress jogged his memory and he remembered what had happened between him and Rhett. He remembered the tall man in the dark hallway and that it was the same person who was dancing with Krista that night. The resemblance was uncanny and now he knew he was right based on what Rhett had revealed. Link’s plan was to lure Rhett to the top of the building by lying and telling him that he had killed Trevor and push him off after getting the information he wanted. Luckily Rhett had lunged towards him and did the job himself. He didn’t have to feel even remotely bad. He might not have felt bad anyway after everything Rhett had put him through. Everything made sense now. The gaslighting, the lying, Krista’s death, and all the paranoia and anxiety that he had been carrying for so long. It felt liberating to have so many burdens lifted at once.

_That crazy asshole really wanted me to murder another person._

A flush from the bathroom made Link jump and out walked Trevor. He seemed just as shocked when he saw Link on his bed. 

“You’re back already. How did everything go? Did you talk to him?”

“Yeah we talked. He uh, didn’t like what I had to say.”

“Did he follow you? He’s not going to try and bang down the door is he?” Trevor was visibly nervous. 

“No, he’s most likely going home.”

**\-----------------------------------------**

Epilogue

“So you were just his client?”

“Right, he was my therapist for about a month. During one of our sessions, he confessed his love for me and I told him that it was inappropriate and that I was going to find a new therapist.”

“Mr. Neal, based on some of the evidence in Mr. McLaughlin’s home, we’ve been led to believe that he’s been following you for a long time. Lots of pieces of paper scribbled with places and times, as well as a rag with blood on it. There was never any physical altercation with him was there?”

_And tell me you would do it again._

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Alright well if we have any more questions we’ll reach out.”

Link only felt a little weird about lying to the police. He didn’t want them to know how close things had gotten between him and Rhett or he might be considered suspect. He hadn’t actually done anything wrong, except for not telling the police after Rhett had jumped. He had played dumb when he saw the news the following morning.

The questioning officer was about to leave when Link had a sudden realization.

“Hey, what are you going to do with the dogs he had?”

“We’ll probably just put them in the local shelter for someone to adopt them.”

“Would it be possible for me to take them?”

“I don’t see why not. They’re familiar with you and it’d be better than locking them away.”

So an officer picked up the dogs later that day and brought them to the apartment. Barbara hid under the chair but Jade immediately made herself comfortable by claiming the middle of the bed. Trevor was apprehensive but warmed up as soon as he saw how happy they made Link. 

In the span of a couple months, Link had moved back into his old house and he brought Trevor and the two dogs with him. Trevor wasn’t used to such a big place and made the living room his work area. All he needed was his chair and his laptop. Eventually Link felt like he might want to see another therapist and after months of deliberation, he found one that felt like a good fit. They had a phone consultation and he explained everything that had happened with his last therapist. She assured him that she would do her best to help him however he needed and that he could talk about the events at his own pace. He felt 100% about her and was excited to finally get the help he needed. Things were finally looking up, and it was about time. Years of being with an emotionally abusive and neglectful wife had taken its toll on Link and he was finally free to be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient! I appreciate all the support in putting out this story. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Justine, Jen, and Steph for beta-reading this for me!


End file.
